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Japan, a country renowned for preserving its traditional values, is witnessing a surprising cultural rupture. Along with the abandonment of the Lunar New Year in favor of the Gregorian New Year during the Meiji era, a year-end ritual originating over 1,000 years ago called "Nengajo" (New Year's greeting cards) is gradually disappearing from daily life.
The numbers don't lie: from a peak of nearly 4.5 billion greeting cards issued in 2004, that number has plummeted to just 1.07 billion in 2025. Forecasts for 2026 indicate an even deeper decline in the Japanese postal market, as the concept of "nengajo-jimai" (ending sending New Year's greeting cards) becomes a new trend in Japanese culture.
Young people in Japan no longer prioritize writing New Year's cards.
From aristocratic ritual to burden
Nengajo is not simply a postcard; it's a spiritual heritage dating back to the Heian period (794-1192), when the aristocracy used handwritten greetings to connect with each other at the beginning of the year. This custom truly exploded and spread throughout society during the Meiji period (1868-1912) thanks to the introduction of the modern postal system. For centuries, preparing Nengajo in December to ensure they reach recipients on January 1st has become a moral standard and the ultimate courtesy of the Japanese people. However, in the context of increasingly busy modern life, Japanese people seem to lack the leisure time to meticulously craft each line of writing or choose elaborate zodiac designs for the hundreds of relationships around them.
New Year's greeting cards (Nengajo) featuring the zodiac animal according to the lunar calendar – a cultural heritage with a history of over 1,000 years – have been an indispensable spiritual connection for the Japanese people every spring.
However, in the eyes of the modern generation of Japanese, the nengajo greeting card is gradually transforming from a sincere greeting into a burdensome "obligation." Sumie Kawakami, a scholar in Yamanashi Prefecture, shares that preparing hundreds of cards for colleagues, friends, and family every December has become an overwhelming mental burden. The anxiety of missing someone on the list for January 1st creates unnecessary stress during the holiday season. Sending late is seen as insensitive, inadvertently turning nengajo into a harsh measure of thoughtfulness in an already crowded social circle.
The decline of nengajo also reflects a major shift in thinking about workplace relationships in Japan. Previously, employees were expected to send greeting cards to all colleagues and superiors as a way to maintain connections within the organization. But today, the trend towards a clear separation of work and personal life (work-life balance) is on the rise. Japanese people no longer feel the need to share personal space with acquaintances outside of work hours.
"Nengajo-jimai" is increasingly appearing as a civilized "death knell" for a tradition once considered the ultimate moral standard of the Japanese people.
Japan Post experienced its golden age in 2004, with nearly 4.5 billion greeting cards delivered on New Year's Day.
Kawakami admitted, "Our lives have completely changed since the time when nengajo (red envelopes with red envelopes) was created. The loss of this tradition is somewhat sad, but it is an inevitable consequence of us prioritizing personal freedom over rigid social rules." The indifference of young people and the extreme busyness of the workforce at the end of the year have caused the red envelope boxes, once bustling on the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, to become increasingly sparse.
Technology: A "culprit" or a liberator of tradition?
An interesting paradox in the history of nengajo is that the technology that once helped it flourish is also the technology that is now "killing" it. In previous decades, the advent of personal computers and color printers created a massive wave of self-designed New Year's greeting cards, allowing people to incorporate personal photos and unique messages. But now, the rise of smartphones, instant messaging apps, and social media has rendered paper greeting cards obsolete.
Kiyoko Date, an employee at a multinational corporation in Yokohama, believes that sending electronic messages is much faster and more efficient than the tedious process of writing by hand and mailing them. "All the people I want to send greetings to are already in my phone's contact list. With just a tap, the message arrives instantly without postage costs or worries about it getting lost," she shared. The convenience of the digital age has completely overshadowed the physical value of paper greeting cards, making spending on nengajo (traditional Vietnamese greeting cards) an unattractive investment for consumers.
The involvement of technology has, to some extent, caused this tradition to gradually fade away.
Actual data from surveys has further reinforced this trend of abandoning paper greeting cards. According to a survey by Futaba in Nagoya, 80% of respondents said they had stopped sending greeting cards in the past five years. The biggest reason, accounting for 77% of opinions, was the convenience of social media such as the LINE app, email, and instant messaging functions. Another poll by the Mainichi newspaper at the end of 2024 also showed that only a mere 11% of people wanted to continue the tradition of sending greeting cards. Besides the technological factor, the financial burden is also a significant barrier, as postage rates in Japan have increased from 63 yen to 85 yen last year. For those who habitually send hundreds of cards, this is a considerable expense in the current economic climate.
Despite deciding to abandon a centuries-old tradition, the Japanese maintain their characteristic politeness. 2026 marks the popularization of the term "nengajo-jimai"—a formal announcement to friends and business partners that this will be the last year they send paper greeting cards. This isn't a severance of ties, but rather an announcement of a change in communication methods, accompanied by sincere thanks for their companionship over the years.
The increase in postage for postcards from 63 yen to 85 yen is one of the economic barriers causing Japanese people, especially young people, to gradually abandon the tradition of sending paper greeting cards annually.
Despite the regrets, the decline of Nengajo is an inevitable consequence in the digital age, where the way people interact is constantly being redefined. For many Japanese, even though they have stopped sending cards, the appeal of holding a postcard containing a heartfelt message still evokes a warm, nostalgic feeling.
In the landscape of Japanese tourism and culture in 2026, the image of bustling red mailboxes on the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year will likely only remain in the memories of previous generations. However, the spirit of New Year's greetings will endure. Regardless of the form, being remembered and loved will always be the most enduring core of each spring in the land of cherry blossoms.
Amidst the increasingly fast-paced modern life, many traditions that have existed for thousands of years in Japan are gradually fading into the past.
