Japan's New Year card tradition on the wane

Jan 01, 2024 | News On Japan

TOKYO - The sending of New Year cards in Japan over the last 45 years has dwindling to less than half, a historic low since the beginning of an annual survey.

Only 43.8% of a surveyed 400 office workers said they would send New Year's cards this season, marking the first time the number has fallen below half since the survey began in 1979, according to stationery giant Pilot.

The average number of New Year's cards sent remained the same as last year at 36 cards.

The peak year for sending New Year's cards was 2001, with 96.9% of respondents participating, a number that has now dropped to less than half.

The main reason for not sending cards was "using messaging apps like LINE instead," cited by 61.0% of respondents. The second most common reason was "preparation is bothersome" at 45.7%, followed by "using social media like Facebook or Instagram instead" at 32.7%, and "not having the habit of sending them" at 26.9%.

The most unwanted recipients of New Year's cards were "bosses or colleagues," with 44.3% of responses focusing on work-related contacts.

When asked if the tradition of sending New Year's cards is necessary in the future, 55.2% of the respondents answered "yes."

Source: ANNnewsCH

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