It’s that time of year again, where in Japan everyone is shopping for their nengajou (traditional New Year’s cards), and adverts for snazzy printers that allow you to create, decorate and print your own are airing on loop. A few of my friends actually do this, and if, like a lot of Japanese people, I had a hundred or more to send, I’d actually consider it too. To tell the truth, I wouldn’t even bother with them if they just weren’t so irresistibly cute. The cards, the stickers, the stamps – I love it all! Every year they feature the Chinese zodiac sign of the coming year, and every year they are just as cute as the previous year. I really can’t help but buy them. So then, because I’ve bought them, I have to send them. And so it goes year after year.
Today was the day I started on my 2014 year of the horse cards. I always get a little lazy when I have to write them, but I love sending and receiving them on January 1st. Every year there is a certain date by which you need to post them, and if you meet that deadline, Japan Post will definitely deliver your New Year’s cards on the 1st of January. The first time I heard that, I was so impressed! Imagine working on New Year’s Day! Only in Japan perhaps? Either way, I think it’s really lovely of them to do that.
This post will be short and sweet as I need to keep at them.
Have an enjoyable Sunday and week ahead beautiful people!
Chuuu xoxo
Photographic evidence of my claims. I dare you to say they aren’t so cute they’d make your head explode if you received one. Ha, didn’t think so! I rest my case.
Cuteness overload! But I’m OK, my head’s still in one piece. 😀
New year cards… they should do them in the UK as well. I would love to decorate these cards with cute stickers and just dish them out to everyone I know.
That is really the most fun part about it 🙂 I have some Hello Kitty New Year special stickers to go with them 😀
Yep too cute, I like shopping for those as well but when I find cute ones they come in a pack of 5 >.< You picked really lovely ones!
Aww thank you 🙂 I got them from the Family Mart near me, of all places!
Awww these are adorable, wish we had cards like this in the UK, I went into Clinton cards the other day and the cards are so corny, these are miles better!
Lovely post again 🙂 xxxx
Heheh good old Clinton Cards! 🙂 The cards here are generally to the point, I find. They just say something along the lines of, “Another year has passed, wishing you lots of happiness, Happy New Year.” 😀
I always had a soft spot for Japanese stationary, stickers and pens/ pencils since I was really young. Every time a family member or friend would go back to the Philippines, they would bring me back mostly Hello Kitty stationary. I sometimes frequent little Asian Shops here in Canada, and some of them actually carry this stuff. My 8 yr old daughter is now a fan😍
I always mean to do these, and I love receiving them. This year, for sure! 😀
They’re fun, aren’t they? 🙂
I am such a sucker for nengajou. I think, oh, they’re so cute, won’t they be fun to send?
40 nengajou later… XD
I know, right?! And I’m never organised enough to keep everyone’s addresses, or tech-savvy enough to print them out, so I hand write them all, ha ha 🙂 But there is a feeling of satisfaction when you’re sending them all at the post office 😀 I sent 30 this year – the most I ever have 😉
Oh my, I expected actual horses, not Little Pony style rainbow creatures, they’re adorable!
Heheh, the New Year cards are always lovely 🙂
They couldn’t be from anywhere else except Japan- so typical of their style