help save Japan’s visual heritage of daily life
support
Advertising postcard for the Great Exhibition of Rapid Japanese Progress in Gifu in 1936

Gifu 1936
The Art of the Japanese New Year Card

Artist Unknown
Publisher Unknown
Medium Postcard
Period Showa
Location Gifu
Image No. 170202-0041
Purchase Digital File
Author

A stunning New Year card for Gifu’s Great Exhibition of Rapid Japanese Progress of 1936. During the 1900s–1930s, many Japanese New Year cards were designed by top artists who created a golden age of card design.

Japan has a unique nengajō (年賀状, New Year card) culture.1 A rigorous delivery system allows the Japanese postal service to dutifully deliver nengajō exactly on New Year’s Day — as long as they have been posted before a certain date.

If a card is received from someone that one has not sent a card, it can be rectified by sending that person a card back on the same day. Mail carriers deliver these two days later, on January 3, the last day of Japan’s New Year celebrations.

Japanese New Year card of a rooster published in 1909
Nengajõ of a rooster and New Year's decoration published in 1909. Unattributed, color lithograph, ink and metallic pigment on card stock, 2002.1652, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Japanese New Year card with an illustration of a goat, 1931.
A nengajõ with an illustration of a goat, 1931. Haruka Takahashi, lithograph; ink and metallic pigment on coated card stock, 2002.1201, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Nengajō’s major role during Japan’s New Year celebrations gives the impression that they have always existed and always will. However, the custom of sending postcards as New Year greetings only started in the 1870s, shortly after Japan’s modern postal service was established in 1871 (Meiji 4). The exclusive delivery service on New Year’s Day was launched in 1899 (Meiji 32).2

Initially, only official postcards without much design were allowed. But in 1900 it became possible to send privately made postcards. The following year there was an explosion of beautifully designed multi-colored nengajō. Soon, great design was of paramount importance and nengajō became an indispensable part of Japanese New Year celebrations.

Japanese New Year card of a family putting up New Year decorations, 1907–1918
Nengajõ with an illustration of a family putting up New Year decorations. Unattributed, 1907–1918, lithograph on postcard stock, ink on paper.

The popularity was in great measure the result of new technologies. Around 1903 (Meiji 36), the lithography process had widely spread in Japan. This made it possible to print very large numbers of beautiful color images. Inspired by the new possibilities, many companies experimented freely, often combining several production methods on a single card.

By fusing traditional culture with the new medium of postcards, printed with innovative new technologies, Japanese artists, designers, and printers created elaborate designs reflecting the latest trends and fashions.

The collaboration between publisher, artist, technician, and printer in modern printing was surprisingly close to that of traditional woodblock printing. This made the transition to modern techniques relatively smooth.3 As a result, the quality and quality of production increased rapidly.

The Japanese public loved it. They fell head over heels in love with with the colorful modern nengajō. In 1905 (Meiji 38), an estimated 110 million cards were printed.

Things heated up even more when during the 1910s schools began to teach about nengajõ. Now, children started to send and exchange cards too. By the early Showa Period (1926–1989), many companies produced cards specifically for children.

By 1937 (Showa 12), the number of nengajō had rocketed to 850 million.

Two patriotic Japanese New Year cards published between 1907 and 1918
Two patriotic nengajō published between 1907 and 1918. The Russo-Japanese War of 1905–1905 created a boom in postcard sales and nationalism. Unattributed, lithograph on postcard stock, ink on paper.
Two Japanese New Year cards from the early 20th century using animals from the Japanese zodiac
Two nengajō using animals from the Japanese zodiac. Left: Mouse couple social dancing, 1912. Unattributed, lithograph, embossing, applique; ink and metallic pigment on card stock, 2002.1643, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Right: Boar rushing in the rain, 1911. Unattributed, lithograph and embossing, ink and metallic pigment on card stock, 2002.1656, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Two Japanese New Year cards from the early 20th century, one showing a mountain landscape, the other sailing vessels
Left: Nengajō with a mountain landscape used to promote the Higeta Shoyu Company, 1910s. Unattributed, woodblock print, ink on paper. Right: Nengajõ with an illustration of three gold colored silhouettes of sailing vessels on a red background, 1900s. Unattributed, lithograph on postcard stock, ink on paper.
Two Japanese New Year cards promoting the Great Exhibition of Rapid Japanese Progress held in Gifu City in 1936
Two nengajõ promoting the Great Exhibition of Rapid Japanese Progress (躍進日本大博覧会, Yakushin Nihon Daihakurankai) held in Gifu City in 1936 (Showa 11). Unattributed, lithograph on postcard stock, ink on paper.

After 1937, however, sales collapsed. in 1940 (Showa 15), war conditions forced the halt of the special delivery, while the Japanese government asked people to refrain from sending New Year cards. The number plummeted to 94 million.4

The special delivery of New Year cards resumed in 1948 (Showa 23), three years after the end of WWII. The following year the Post Office launched the popular New Year cards with lottery numbers, allowing the recipients to win prizes.

Illustration by Sada Yamamoto on a New Year Card from the 1950s
Illustration of a young girl in kimono holding a card with New Year greetings, 1950s. Sada Yamamoto, lithograph on photo stock, ink on paper.

Once again, numbers shot up, reaching an astonishing 4.46 billion in 2004 (Heisei 16). But social media, stagnant salaries, and dramatic increases in costs of living have since devastated sales.

Especially the 30 percent rise of postal rates in 2024 (Reiwa 6) hit hard. The number of cards issued for New Year of 2025 nosedived to 1.07 billion, just slightly more than the figure of 1937. The estimated number of nengajō delivered on January 1, 2025 plunged 34 percent from the previous year. It was less than half the number of cards delivered on New Year’s Day 2022.5

Will nengajõ be able to survive?

For data sources, see Timeline Sources (below Notes).
TIMELINE
1871 Modern postal service is established in Japan.
1873 The first official postcard in Japan is issued in a bifold format.
1875 The first single-sided official postcard appears.
1899 The special New Year postcard delivery service is launched.
1900 Privately made postcards are allowed.
1901 Beautifully designed multi-colored New Year cards explode onto the market. A golden age of postcard design lasts through the 1930s.
1923 The warehouse for stamps and postal cards burns down after the Great Kantō Earthquake of 1923 of 1923. The Vice-Minister of Communications requests that the sending of New Year cards is halted for 1924.
1936 The Post Office begins issuing special New Year stamps.
1940 Because of war conditions the special delivery of New Year cards is halted; the government asks people to refrain from sending New Year cards.
1948 Three years after the end of WWII, the special delivery of New Year cards resumes.
1949 To promote the sale of New Year cards, the Post Office launches New Year cards with lottery numbers, allowing the recipients to win prizes.
2004 The number of issued cards peaks at 4.46 billion. Hereafter, sales decline every year.
2024 The number of cards issued for New Year of 2025 declines to 1.07 billion.

Related Articles

The New Year in Japan reproduces a book about Japanese New Year celebrations published in 1906 (Meiji 39) by Kobe based photographer Teijiro Takagi. Dezome-shiki introduces demonstrations of ladder stunts by Japanese firefighters, a major event during New Year celebrations.

Notes

1 This culture also determined the kanji used in the greetings. Nengajō generally used the same characters to wish a Happy New Year: 謹賀新年, 迎春 or 賀正.

2 JACAR Newsletter Number 42, December 27, 2023. Japan Center for Asian Historical Records. Retrieved on 2025-01-01.

The history of Japan Post from its establishment to today. Japan Post Holdings. Retrieved on 2025-01-03.

3 Wright, Joan (2004). Postcards Observed: Notes on Printing Techniques in Art of the Japanese Postcard. Boston: MFA Publications, 249.

4 明治・大正・昭和初期の辰年年賀状. 年賀状ミュージアム. Retrieved on 2025-01-03.

Nishimura Morse, Anne (2004). New Year’s Greetings in Art of the Japanese Postcard. Boston: MFA Publications, 235.

5 Fujita, Tomoya (2025-01-02), Number of New Year’s cards for delivery on Jan. 1 halved in 3 years, The Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved on 2025-01-03.

Timeline Sources

  1. JACAR Newsletter Number 42, December 27, 2023. Japan Center for Asian Historical Records. Retrieved on 2025-01-01.
  2. The history of Japan Post from its establishment to today. Japan Post Holdings. Retrieved on 2025-01-03.
  3. 年賀状ミュージアム. Retrieved on 2025-01-01.
  4. Earhart, David C. (2008). Certain Victory: Images of World War II in the Japanese Media. New York, London: M.E. Sharpe, 145 (New Year stamps, refraining from sending New Year cards).
  5. (2018-11-20) Year of the Boared? Japanese Tire of Greeting Card Tradition. Nippon Communications Foundation (peak number). Retrieved on 2025-01-01.
  6. (2025-01-01) Japan rethinks tradition of New Year’s cards as inflation persists. Kyodo News (number of cards in 2024). Retrieved on 2025-01-01.

Published
Updated

Leave a Comment

Reader Supported

Old Photos of Japan aims to be your personal museum for Japan's visual heritage and to bring the experiences of everyday life in old Japan to you.

To enhance our understanding of Japanese culture and society I track down, acquire, archive, and research images of everyday life, and give them context.

I share what I have found for free on this site, without ads or selling your data.

Your support helps me to continue doing so, and ensures that this exceptional visual heritage will not be lost and forgotten.

Thank you,
Kjeld Duits

support

Reference for Citations

Duits, Kjeld (). Gifu 1936: The Art of the Japanese New Year Card, OLD PHOTOS of JAPAN. Retrieved on February 10, 2025 (GMT) from https://www.oldphotosjapan.com/photos/951/the-art-of-the-japanese-new-year-card

Explore More

…

Kobe, 1906
New Year Celebrations 9

The first meal of the year, includes a soup called zoni, which features mochi rice cakes.

…

Okayama 1935
School Girls Eating Bento

Japanese school girls eating bento (lunch boxes) in their classroom.

…

Kobe 1907
"The 'Ceremonial Tea' Observance in Japan"

A woman in a tea ceremony—from a photo book about the Japanese tea ceremony published in 1907 (Meiji 40). This article reproduces the book.

Comment

There are currently no comments on this article.