As the year draws to a close, a familiar ritual unfolds across Japan. Address books are reopened, pens come out, and households and offices prepare to send 年賀状 (nengajō) — traditional New Year postcards exchanged to offer seasonal greetings and good wishes. For generations, these cards have been a cornerstone of Japanese social etiquette, reinforcing personal, professional, and family ties at the start of each year.
In recent years, however, there has been growing concern that this once-ubiquitous custom may be gradually disappearing. Fewer postcards are being sent each year, and a quiet but noticeable shift is underway in how people choose to mark the New Year.
One sign of this change is the rising popularity of stamps and stickers bearing the phrase 年賀状じまい (nengajō-jimai). These messages are typically placed on what is intended to be the sender’s final New Year card. Rather than simply failing to send postcards without explanation, people use these notices to politely inform recipients that they will no longer be participating in the tradition going forward.
The term nengajō-jimai reflects a broader linguistic and cultural pattern in Japanese. The suffix ～じまい (-jimai) comes from the verb 仕舞う (shimau), which means to put something away or bring something to an end. It carries a sense of closure rather than abrupt abandonment. The same suffix appears in expressions like 店じまい (mise-jimai), referring to closing a shop, and 墓じまい (haka-jimai), which describes the practice of dismantling or relocating a family grave. In each case, the word suggests a deliberate and often thoughtful conclusion to a long-standing practice.
Several factors are driving the decline of nengajō. Digital communication has made it easier and faster to send New Year greetings through messaging apps and social media, especially among younger generations. Rising postage costs and the time required to write dozens of cards by hand have also made the tradition feel burdensome to some. For older people, health concerns or the shrinking of social networks may make continuing the practice less practical than it once was.
Despite this, the way people step away from nengajō reveals how deeply ingrained the custom remains. Rather than abandoning it without acknowledgment, many feel compelled to formally announce their departure, reflecting Japan’s emphasis on courtesy and clear communication. Even in ending the practice, there is an effort to preserve harmony and respect.
While the future of New Year postcards in Japan is uncertain, they are unlikely to vanish overnight. For now, nengajō occupy an in-between space — no longer universal, but still meaningful. Whether they survive as a widespread tradition or evolve into a more selective and symbolic gesture, they continue to offer insight into how Japanese society balances tradition with changing lifestyles.