Once I said Merry Christmas to my Japanese friend, he replied me that he didn't know that day was Christmas. It seems Christmas is not that important in Japan. Anyway now Christmas is over and new year is around the corner. Sending New Year's postcards (nengako) to relatives and friends is a very important custom in Japan. Last year, one of my Japanese friends had prepared around 400 postcards. I always wonder without the printer, how long it would take for them to write all the postcards.
From mid-December, Japan Post service accepts New Year's cards and they will deliver them on New Year's Day. If you would like to send a card to your friend, you had to write down nenga (年賀) under the stamp in red, so that the card will be distinguish as New year card from regular mail. If you don't do it, your card will post as a regular mail. It probably will arrive before the New Year's Day. Also you have to beware when you drop your card to the post box. Be sure you put your card into the one which 'nenga yuubin' (年賀郵便) is written. The Japanese are always neat and considerate, they have prepared some plastic bands placing on the mail box for senders to gather the cards together.
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