‘So old-fashioned’: Japan’s New Year card tradition fast declining in age of messaging apps

Japan's long-standing tradition of sending New Year greeting cards, known as nengajo, is experiencing a decline. This year, approximately 743 million nengajo were delivered across the country, marking a 16 per cent decrease from the previous year. This tradition, which dates back to the Nara period over 1,300 years ago, has been gradually fading. Postal workers, some donned in historical uniforms, noticed their delivery bags were lighter due to the reduced number of cards.

Makoto Hosomura, a retired wine importer from Saitama Prefecture, opted not to send any cards this year, citing it as a nuisance. In previous years, he would print and personally inscribe over a hundred cards, expressing gratitude for the past year's business and anticipation for the year ahead. If he forgot to send a card to a customer, he would have to hastily prepare and post one on January 1. However, since retiring, he no longer felt the need to maintain these business contacts and decided to only send a few cards to personal friends and family.

The tradition of exchanging New Year's greetings originated among the Japanese nobility during the Nara period and gradually spread among the upper classes and businesspeople. The establishment of a postal system allowed common people to send similar messages. The first official New Year postcards were issued in 1873, and by the turn of the century, this practice became an integral part of the season. However, the advent of technology, which has enabled families to design and print personalised New Year cards at home, appears to be contributing to the tradition's decline. A recent survey revealed that less than half of the respondents planned to send cards this year, with most preferring to send messages via apps or social media. Despite this, over half of the respondents expressed hope that the tradition would continue.