- 14 Mar 2002
- 21,057
- 18,914
Our household's score this year: Xmas cards sent: 0, nengajō sent: 0.
A Japanese year-end custom that dates back more than a thousand years is gradually fading as people have less free time, weaker ties to colleagues and a growing preference for sending greetings online. The tradition of posting nengajō New Year cards is declining quickly, with many people choosing social media or messaging apps instead as the year draws to a close.
Although some feel a sense of loss at the disappearance of a seasonal custom, most appear largely unconcerned. The number of nengajō sent has fallen steadily for years, dropping from almost 4.5 billion cards in 2004 to about 1.07 billion in 2025, with further declines expected. For some individuals, the shift has become personal. An academic living in Yamanashi Prefecture did not send a single card for the first time this year, after gradually reducing the number she sent annually. She had once written and mailed around 200 cards each year to colleagues, friends and relatives, but felt that changing lifestyles had made the practice harder to maintain.
A Japanese year-end custom that dates back more than a thousand years is gradually fading as people have less free time, weaker ties to colleagues and a growing preference for sending greetings online. The tradition of posting nengajō New Year cards is declining quickly, with many people choosing social media or messaging apps instead as the year draws to a close.
Although some feel a sense of loss at the disappearance of a seasonal custom, most appear largely unconcerned. The number of nengajō sent has fallen steadily for years, dropping from almost 4.5 billion cards in 2004 to about 1.07 billion in 2025, with further declines expected. For some individuals, the shift has become personal. An academic living in Yamanashi Prefecture did not send a single card for the first time this year, after gradually reducing the number she sent annually. She had once written and mailed around 200 cards each year to colleagues, friends and relatives, but felt that changing lifestyles had made the practice harder to maintain.
Japan's 'nengajo' New Year card tradition losing its charm
A Japanese year-end rite that can trace its roots back more than 1,000 years is disappearing as people have less free time, feel less connected to work colleagues and prefer to send New Year greetings via social media.
Nengajō-jimai (年賀状じまい) is the practice of letting people know that you are stopping the exchange of New Year cards. Traditionally, this was done by sending one last card to friends, colleagues or relatives to say that no more nengajō would be sent from the following year. This was seen as a polite way to avoid offending, especially in professional or long-standing relationships. The term has become more common in recent years as fewer people send New Year cards due to time pressures, cost, changing work relationships and the rise of digital communication. For many, nengajō-jimai reflects a broader shift away from obligation-based customs toward simpler, more personal ways of keeping in touch.