Nengajyou
Nengajyou = New Year's greetings cards. In Japan, the custom is to send out greetings for the new year (January 1st, as opposed to the lunar new year). It's a pretty amazing feat of coordination by the postal service, one which ours could not even dream of replicating (heck, our post office can't even come close to the efficiency of the Japanese postal service during non-holiday seasons).
Every family sends post card greetings. Often, they include pictures of the family on one side with typical greetings for the new year. Many people send their cards out to be printed (like we do here with photo greeting cards), some print them at home, and of course, there is a huge post card industry.
Here's where the post office comes in. Two things. First, if you buy the post cards from the post office (postage already affixed), then they all have serial numbers for a lottery. On January 1st (or soon thereafter, I forget exactly when), the post office holds a drawing. Those who hold nengajyou with the selected numbers win anything from stamps (a prize won by thousands of people) to bigger prizes such as electronics, etc. I won a few small things during my time there. Second, and this is the amazing thing, post cards that are sent as nengajyou and are mailed any time in December will be delivered -- no matter what -- on January 1st. Yes, the post office holds all of the cards and in a massive operation, deploys thousands of seasonal employees (usually college students) and gets them all delivered on January 1st. It's amazing.
Anyway, since living in Japan from 1990-94, I have adopted the custom of sending New Year's greetings. This takes the form of electronic cards, a yearly newsletter and nengajyou. For some people, I'll send Christmas or Hanukah cards, but generally my greetings are for a great New Year.
Last year, I dropped the ball and sent out nothing. Finishing school, studying for the bar... well, I didn't get anything out. This year, I am determined to pick up that ball (which has since bounced into a corner somewhere) and get out my New Year's greetings.
Let's just hope that I manage to get them out by January 1st rather than February 18th (the Lunar New Year)... but either works for me!
Every family sends post card greetings. Often, they include pictures of the family on one side with typical greetings for the new year. Many people send their cards out to be printed (like we do here with photo greeting cards), some print them at home, and of course, there is a huge post card industry.
Here's where the post office comes in. Two things. First, if you buy the post cards from the post office (postage already affixed), then they all have serial numbers for a lottery. On January 1st (or soon thereafter, I forget exactly when), the post office holds a drawing. Those who hold nengajyou with the selected numbers win anything from stamps (a prize won by thousands of people) to bigger prizes such as electronics, etc. I won a few small things during my time there. Second, and this is the amazing thing, post cards that are sent as nengajyou and are mailed any time in December will be delivered -- no matter what -- on January 1st. Yes, the post office holds all of the cards and in a massive operation, deploys thousands of seasonal employees (usually college students) and gets them all delivered on January 1st. It's amazing.
Anyway, since living in Japan from 1990-94, I have adopted the custom of sending New Year's greetings. This takes the form of electronic cards, a yearly newsletter and nengajyou. For some people, I'll send Christmas or Hanukah cards, but generally my greetings are for a great New Year.
Last year, I dropped the ball and sent out nothing. Finishing school, studying for the bar... well, I didn't get anything out. This year, I am determined to pick up that ball (which has since bounced into a corner somewhere) and get out my New Year's greetings.
Let's just hope that I manage to get them out by January 1st rather than February 18th (the Lunar New Year)... but either works for me!
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