Card Confusion

Card-giving is a part of many cultures – differing rules surround etiquette depending on where in the world you are. Japan of course, has its own protocol surrounding card sending at this time of year. Not only does understanding the concept of New Year greeting cards provide a new challenge for the average foreigner, but in my experience, as a foreigner working in a foreign-owned enterprise, this can become even more complicated.

As much as I would like to say that I’m a good card-giver, alas, this is not the case. I always admire those that make the effort and remember to give cards on occasions that warrant them, or indeed, find an excuse to give. While I’m not the best card-giver, I do love to receive them. Although my motivation for sending cards can range from the obligatory to the more emotional, no matter the kind of message, and particularly since being in Japan, I realize the importance of formalizing these in such a manner.

Despite having grown up in a culture of Christmas card giving and receiving, living in Japan, this custom just isn’t the same – at times receiving Christmas cards can provide both comfort by making one feel closer to home, and at other times, remind us how far away we really are. Likewise, giving is not quite as simple – with it not being part of the culture, the concept is both less understood, and resources (ie. the cards themselves) less available. When going with a personal tradition, not as accepted locally, there can be a resource issue. Purchasing Christmas cards has become much easier over the years but there will never be the supply of our home countries and as such Christmas card purchasing is both expensive and choice limited.

The New Year card (nengajo) was a new learning experience while spending my first full year in Japan. I arrived back from my holiday in Thailand over the New Year break to discover a letterbox full of postcards with brief Japanese sentences and a different images adorning the covers ranging from cutesy characters, photographs of homes, family, or just a picture of the sender decorated with shiny stickers and stamps. Some 10 years later, the cards still arrive – again ranging in appearance – offering insight in to friend’s and colleague’s characters and home life, and reminding of a tradition that continues in this country. The cards are, in fact, postcards and though many buy pre-printed versions often consisting of images of the zodiac animal of the new year, there seems to be an increasing number of “DIY” versions thanks to new IT soft and hardware allowing one to make a professional yet personal version.

As an individual, one battles with the idea of sending Christmas cards, adhering to personal traditions, or New Year cards, adhering to those of the country in which one resides. Generally, I send a combination of the two, but tend to stick to a formula that consists of Christmas cards to fellow foreigners (including clients, etc) and the more foreign of my Japanese friends, and New Year cards for the more formal business relationships and more traditional of my Japanese friends.

As a foreign company, not only do we need to think about who to send what, but we need to coordinate this across the whole company. It can be challenging, and often some key clients end up receiving both Christmas and New Year greeting cards (although best to receive two kinds rather than none at all I suppose!).

Although back home you have Christmas cards coming in and going out over a period of several weeks, the Japanese nengajo card system is much more precise. The national postal service assures delivery on the 1st of January, without fail, so long as you put your cards in the post by a certain date. While I know they hire students to help them deliver, the shear volume and ability to carry this out will forever impress me.

I must admit to having been a bit slack this year. As much as I promise myself each year to remember how good it feels to receive both Christmas and New Year cards and therefore ensure I send some the following year, this time just tends to creep up on you so quickly it doesn’t end up happening. It doesn’t mean I am not wishing for a fantastic holiday season for all I know and love, but perhaps I can blame my slackness on the confusion of being surrounded by not just one, but two card giving customs?!