2021 marks the 10th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and resulting tsunami. You can buy pre-paid new year’s cards at post offices, stationery stores and convenience stores until early January. oh wow… now I’m lost! Thank you for all the fun time we spent together last year. the one that says this year is 2021, the Japanese date system of designating years as era names based on the reign of Emperors still remains in place and runs concurrently along with the Gregorian system. Japanese nengajo (年賀状), or New Year greetings cards, are a fun and easy way to show your appreciation to everyone you care about over the holidays. That's where conversion tables or age charts come in – a chart that shows the Gregorian calendar year alongside the Japanese one. So when in Japan, don't be confused that the year is missing two or three digits or that your friends have children born in the year 1. Take the winning card to a post office to redeem your prize. Japanese years are calculated by the number of years the Emperor has reigned. The year 2021 is the 3rd year of the reigning Emperor, so this year is therefore ‘Reiwa 3', commonly written as the first letter of the era name then year number, i.e. The campaign slogan, “Let’s meet via a nengajo,” illustrates many people’s emotions of not being able to return to travel to homes for the holidays this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The year 1989, for example, can historically be referred to as “Shōwa 64” or “Heisei 1” as Emperor Shōwa passed away on January 7th during the 64th year of his reign. Written new year’s greetings already existed in the 11th century, during the Heian Period, and, As a guide to how big a job that is, for the 2021 new year, the post office is, 1.94 billion nengajo, and many more self-made new year’s cards will also be sent. I’ve always found this to be an interesting topic too. Sakunen wa taihen-na koto mo arimashita ga, kazoku no kizuna ya yuujou ni kansha shita ichinen deshita. While it may seem intimidating at first when you see a combination of letters and numbers, luckily the Japanese date system is extremely easy to master once you understand a few basic concepts. :) But don’t worry, I’ll still happily be your guide when you come to Japan. Life expectancy of a 10-year-old today has increased by 14 years since 1950. The current Japanese year is 3? Satoyama, however, is not only a type of…. How to write Japanese years The era name assigned to the current Emperor is ‘Reiwa'. Or you can just enjoy the illusion that you have gone back in time! February 12, 2021, marks the beginning of the Year of the Metal Ox. in Japanese from which you can either create cards to print at home, or use your smartphone to design them and print them out at a convenience store. However, there are rules on who, when and how to send your nengajo. The winning numbers will be announced on January 17. As long as your card arrives by January 7, you’ll have committed no etiquette infringement. ご健康で幸せな一年でありますようお祈りいたしております。(Go-kenkou de shiawase-na ichinen de arimasu you o-inori itashite orimasu.) I wonder how you'll look back on the last year now that you're older, whether the thought of having to wear a mask all the time would make you shiver - or if you miss the silence and post-apocalyptic emptiness in the streets during your morning cigarette. In between musings on cherry blossoms, autumn leaves, and frogs jumping in ponds, Japan’s literary greats also wrote about romantic love. .) So I have to make a conscious effort to make sure I’m writing the correct year. that refers to the coronavirus-addled year that was. Thank you for all your support last year. Be aware that you should not send nengajo to those who have suffered a family bereavement in the passing year. While Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1873 i.e. Kotoshi mo, otagai ni shigoto mo asobi mo omoikkiri tanoshimi, juujitsu shita ichinen ni shitai mono desu ne. If you receive a card from someone you haven’t sent one to, quickly write a new card up and post it. Oh I see. Let’s meet again when the coronavirus has settled down. If you are in plans to visit the country then check the wishes in Japanese language here. Thank you for all the fun time we spent together last year. The post 50+ Proven Strategies to Save Money in 2021 appeared first on Reader's Digest. But if you are residing in Japan, it is always useful to know your date of birth in Japanese years. From January 8 onward, the appropriate epistle is a winter greeting card, or 寒中見舞い (kanchuu mimai). Our thrifty guide will help you keep your money in the (piggy) bank. I’ll be glad to have you as our guide when we make it to Japan! Greetings F, The worst year of your life so far is over. That compares with a peak of around 3.7 billion cards in 1997. Japan Post also has an. The number 2021 in Japanese is 二千二十一. I knew a tiny bit about Japanese years before, but not enough to really understand how it works. ;), it definitely sounds overwhelming the first time you hear about it but you always make those funny facts interesting and easy to read about! The counting of Japanese years follows the Gregorian calendar with the year starting on January 1st and ending on December 31st, yet it would be a rare occurrence that the death of an Emperor conveniently conforms to these dates. Try selecting a different year below. ‘R3'. In 1950, when softcream was introduced to Japan, indecisiveness was probably not an…, There is a phrase in Japanese, satoyama, that describes a mountain ecosystem where the fields and wooded slopes engage within the proximity of human settlements. The most popular reason for choosing to send cards, rather than an online message or phone call, is their thoughtfulness and tangibility — that they physically exist and remain. Overview of holidays and many observances in Japan during the year 2021 The era name assigned to the current Emperor is ‘Reiwa'. For example, the Showa Emperor passed away on January 7, 1989, the 64th year of his reign. People who have, and who expect to receive a card from you, will warn you of that fact in advance via a postcard called mochuu hagaki (喪中はがき). I don’t always date my calligraphies in Japanese, but when I do, I like to use the traditional Japanese Era Years. 二千二十. But Japanese automakers aren't going to sit silently and watch other automakers build hype before the new year. These poetic flashes of romance are not always obvious, with haiku…, “Location, location, location” used to be the mantra of most city dwellers when choosing a place to live. ‘R3'. Under current law, only a male may succeed the throne and with a large number of women in the family, there is currently only one male heir, 14-year-old Prince Hisahito. This is a popular combination of those phrases: 昨年中は色々とお世話になりました。(Sakunen-juu wa iroiro to osewa ni narimashita.) Alternatively, you can also write, 二〇二一年　元旦, (, Electronics stores like Bic Camera, camera stores and the convenience store Seven-Eleven are among the many companies that can print new year’s cards for you. There is a range of smaller prizes, too, for cards’ whose final two, or four digits, for example, are drawn. Electronics stores like Bic Camera, camera stores and the convenience store Seven-Eleven are among the many companies that can print new year’s cards for you. Knowing your Japanese birth year will likely only ever come up if you live here and, in the end, that is only one number to remember. So, for example, if you were born between January 1st and 7th 1989, you were born in S64 and from January 8th onwards H1. To send pre-paid new year’s cards overseas, add a ¥7 stamp, write “post card” and “air mail” on it and align the card horizontally when you address it. Go-kenkou de shiawase-na ichinen de arimasu you o-inori itashite orimasu. Japan currently observes Japan Standard Time (JST) all year.. DST is no longer in use.. Clocks do not change in Japan. There were many tough aspects, but last year was a year in which I was thankful for friendship and the ties to my family. At the end, date the card using the term 元旦 (, ), which means New Year’s Day. Alternatively, you can also write, 二〇二一年　元旦, (2021nen, gantan), where ‘nen’ means ‘year.’. After that, you want to add a line of gratitude for the support you have received in the passing year, and then one that expresses your wish to continue your relationship in the new year. The Covid-19 pandemic has brought with it hardship, anxiety and isolation, but it has also helped us appreciate how intrinsically interdependent our lives are, and how much we miss our loved ones. The holiday is associated with festive foods, decorations, rituals, observances, pastimes and events that give the day much flavor and charm. At the end, date the card using the term 元旦 (gantan), which means New Year’s Day. Corona ga ochitsuitara, mata o-ai shimashou. Good on you to be able to find your way in those calendars and different dates! What an interesting and informative article! Alternatively, you can also write, 二〇二一年 元旦, ( 2021nen, gantan ), where ‘ nen ’ means ‘year.’ He had the idea of adding lottery numbers to the cards issued by the post office, which would win the recipient prizes. Although in this pandemic year it cuts a bit too close to the bone, you may sometimes hear Japanese jokingly refer to the practice of sending new year’s cards as a kind of once-a-year ‘survival check’ (生存確認, seizon kakunin). New year’s cards were born out of the traditional practice of visiting family and friends on New Year’s Day to exchange greetings. The most popular way to do that is to write, for New Year’s 2021, 令和三年　元旦 (Reiwa 3nen, gantan), which counts the years under the Japanese era system. This is the first time this has occurred in modern Japan's history, the last being 200 years ago. Haha It sounds a little overwhelming when you first hear about it, but it is really logical once you familiarize yourself with it, trust me. Or is the idea of a royal family simply outdated and irrelevant in modern society, and one that should be phased out, along with the Japanese date system?