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As the year draws to a close, it’s the perfect time to learn how to express New Year’s greetings in Japanese! The Japanese New Year, or お 正月 しょうがつ (oshoogatsu), is one of the most important holidays in Japan. It’s a time for family gatherings, reflection, and starting fresh. It’s Already the Last Month of 2024! In no time, we’ve arrived at the final month of 2024. In English-speaking countries, people often say “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!” starting around mid-December. How do Japanese people exchange during the New Year holiday season? Year-End Greeting: “Yoi otoshi wo omukae kudasai” If you were living Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu (明けましておめでとうございます) is the polite Japanese phrase to wish someone a “Happy New Year” at the start of the new year. The formal phrase can be used from January 1st as a new year greeting for superiors, seniors, coworkers, older people, acquaintances, and strangers. Japanese New Year greeting examples. With so many Japanese traditions to choose from, all that’s left (aside from sake) is spreading the New Year’s cheer. Here are some New Year’s greetings and when to use them: “Yoi otoshi wo omukaekudasai” 良いお年をお迎えください: Have a wonderful New Year’s (future tense, before Jan.1) The eto is present in most New Year decorations, such as nengajō or New Year greeting cards, with the animal of the new year being featured everywhere. Also, eto is celebrated during hatsumōde or the first shrine visit of the year. There are two ways of saying "Happy New Year": akemashite omedetô (gozaimasu) (明けましておめでとう (ございます) ). They literally mean "Happy New Year" and "Congratulations for the New Year which is beginning". In a formal situation, it is appropriate to say yoï otoshi o omukae kudassaï (良いお年をお迎えください). 1. 明けましておめでとうございます (Akemashite Omedetō Gozaimasu): Happy New Year. You will hear this expression many times during the New Year in Japan. Like many other countries, wishing people a “Happy New Year” is common and appreciated. Happy New Year in Japanese is no exception to this rule! Below we go over Japanese New Year traditions, celebrating the New Year in Japan, and the various phrases to use to wish someone a Happy New Year in Japanese. If you want to send nengajo to your Japanese friends, here are common greetings and expressions you can write to wish them all the best for the new year. All the following expressions roughly translate as " Happy New Year." Choose any of them to begin your card. How do you wish Happy New Year in Japanese? Most commonly you would say Shin’nen’omedetō (新年おめでとう) . Before the 23rd of December, you can say Yoiotoshiwo (良いお年を) and after the 1st of January, you can either say Hinnen omedetô gozaimasu (新年おめでとう ございます) or Akemashite omedetō gozaimasu (明け As a guide to how big a job that is, for the 2021 new year, the post office issued 1.94 billion nengajo, and many more self-made new year’s cards will also be sent. For the 2023 new year, according to NHK World, Japan Post has prepared 1.65 billion cards. That compares with a peak of around 3.7 billion cards in 1997. That means there’s a second way to say “Happy New Year” in Japanese, right after it becomes a new year. 3. Akemashite omedetou! Have a happy New Year! (after the new year begins) 明けましておめでとう！ あけましておめでとう！ Akemashite omedetou! In Japan, celebrating the New Year wouldn’t be complete without the tradition of nengajo—greeting cards that convey well-wishes for the year ahead.Every January 1st, millions of Japanese households receive these specially designed cards from friends, family, and colleagues, filled with messages of gratitude and hopes for happiness and health. New Year’s greetings are traditionally written on postcards and hold a special place in Japan’s New Year traditions. As New Year’s is considered an auspicious holiday, sending nengajo is a way to express gratitude to friends, family, and business associates for their support over the past year or simply to maintain connections. New Year’s greetings. Finally, it wouldn’t be New Year’s without the greeting! In Japanese, there are two distinct ways to give New Year’s greetings. Before December 31, you say: Yoi otoshi o (pronounced yo-i-o-toshi-o)良いお年を. To be polite, you say: Yoi otoshi o omukae kudasai よいお年をお迎え下さい。 Learn all the Japanese New Year wishes online, in your own time, on any device! Join JapanesePod101 for a special Japanese New Year celebration! Join JapanesePod101 for a special Japanese New Year celebration! Nengajō (年賀状) are Japanese New Year's greeting cards. They usually feature a decoration of the year's animal in the Chinese zodiac (see What Western dates correspond to what Japanese dates?) and some greetings wishing the receiver a happy new year. Typical nengajō greetings include Wish good cheer and happiness on Japanese New Year. New Year Wishes. Send your New Year wishes. Shines With Joy And Success Japanese New Year greeting. New Beginnings Send Happy New Year wishes with this ecard. Shogatsu Greetings Wish happiness, success and prosperity. New Year Prayers. Send New Year wishes through the teachings of Buddha. Saying Happy New Year in Japanese can involve giving good wishes on Dec. 31 or Jan. 1, but it can also cover greetings for the coming year that you might express until mid-January, and it can even include phrases you would use when reconnecting with family or acquaintances after long absences. For the Japanese New Year, the locals celebrate it for three whole days starting from January 1 to January 3. Since this is a special time for many, it is already on their calendar, and most of the companies are closed so that employees can celebrate with their family and friends or visit some unique tourist sites in the country.
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