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Traditional Japanese nengajo New Year postcards with zodiac animal designs

Japan Nengajo Guide 2025

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Every December, Japan sends over a billion New Year postcards — a tradition that connects colleagues, family, and friends across the country with a single handwritten message arriving on January 1st. Nengajo carry lottery numbers, zodiac animals, and the warmth of a culture that still believes in the power of a card in the mail.

Stay in Tokyo Over New Year

Experience nengajo season firsthand — post offices stack thousands of cards, convenience stores sell zodiac designs, and the New Year atmosphere in Tokyo is extraordinary.

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What Is Nengajo?

Nengajo (年賀状, New Year cards) are greeting postcards sent to arrive on January 1st — Japan's largest postal event. An estimated 1–2 billion nengajo are mailed each year, and Japan Post holds all cards posted by the deadline (around December 25) to deliver them together on New Year's Day.

Nengajo at a Glance

WhenCards mailed by Dec 25; delivered January 1 (New Year's Day)
Who sendsWork colleagues, relatives, friends, teachers, customers — maintaining all important relationships with one yearly touchpoint
What's on themNew Year greetings, the year's Chinese zodiac animal, family photos, photos of newborn children, and a lottery number
CostOfficial nengajo postcards sold by Japan Post: ¥63 per card (includes postage). Sold at post offices and convenience stores from November

The tradition originated in the Heian period, when aristocrats exchanged formal New Year greetings. The modern postal card system began with Japan's first postcard in 1873. Today the practice is declining among younger generations but remains deeply embedded in Japanese workplace culture.

The Nengajo Lottery

Every official nengajo postcard sold by Japan Post includes a lottery number printed at the bottom. In January, Japan Post conducts a national lottery drawing — prizes include postage stamps, household goods, regional specialties, and top prizes of home appliances and cash equivalent prizes. Winning cards can be redeemed at any post office.

How the Nengajo Lottery Works

Lottery dateResults announced around January 17–18 each year; check the Japan Post website for exact dates
Number locationSix-digit number printed at the bottom left of each official nengajo postcard
Prize claimingBring winning cards to any post office before the claim deadline (typically July of the same year)
Prize typesThird prizes (most common): postage stamps or ¥300 gift certificates. Second: local food/goods. First: electronics worth ¥100,000+

Nengajo Etiquette

Nengajo follow strict etiquette rules that reflect Japan's formal social calendar. Understanding the rules is important for foreigners participating in the tradition with Japanese colleagues or friends.

Key Nengajo Rules

  1. Do not send nengajo after a family bereavement (mochuu). If you or the recipient experienced a death in the family during the previous year, nengajo are suspended. Instead, send a kichuu-hagaki (喪中葉書) notice by late November informing people not to send cards.
  2. Do not use the characters “去年” (last year) or “去” — the character 去 means “departure/leaving” and carries unlucky connotations for the New Year.
  3. Send cards to arrive on January 1st. Cards arriving on January 2nd or later are technically late. Cards received after December 25 may not be guaranteed New Year's Day delivery.
  4. If you receive a card from someone you didn't send to, send a reply card promptly — but within January, before the New Year period officially ends.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can foreigners send nengajo in Japan?▼
Absolutely — foreigners living in or visiting Japan are welcome to participate in the nengajo tradition. Japan Post sells official nengajo postcards at post offices and convenience stores from November; multilingual design software is available online. Foreign residents who maintain relationships with Japanese colleagues often find that sending nengajo is one of the most appreciated cultural gestures they can make.
What should I write on a nengajo?▼
The most common nengajo phrases are: 謹賀新年 (kin-ga shin-nen, "respectful congratulations on the new year") or 明けましておめでとうございます (akemashite omedetou gozaimasu, "Happy New Year"). Many people add a brief personal note about the past year or hopes for the coming year. The card should include the zodiac animal of the new year somewhere in the design.
What are the most popular nengajo designs?▼
The zodiac animal of the coming year is the most universal design element — 2025 is the Year of the Snake (巳年). Common designs feature traditional woodblock print aesthetics, family photos (especially popular among young families showing new children), and minimalist modern designs. Japan Post sells pre-printed official designs, and print shops produce millions of customized cards each season from templates.

Book Your Tokyo New Year Hotel

New Year in Tokyo is one of Japan's most atmospheric experiences — nengajo season, hatsumode at Meiji Jingu, and traditional food culture at its most vivid. Book well in advance.

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