Mid-winter greeting card

How it works

1. The greeting is already 寒中お見舞い申し上げます. Leave it, or type your own.
2. Replace the message if you are explaining a bereavement or thanking somebody for a card you could not answer.
3. Type your name and address. The date line says 一月 rather than 元旦, which matters here.
4. Download and print on a plain hagaki — not a New Year one, which carries the lottery number and the wrong mood.

Frequently asked questions

When is it sent?

Between the 8th of January (the 16th in the Kansai reckoning) and the 4th of February, which is 立春. After that it becomes a 余寒見舞い.

Why would I send this rather than a New Year card?

Three reasons, usually: somebody in your family died in the past year, somebody in theirs did, or a card arrived from someone you had not written to and the New Year has passed.

Should it have the zodiac animal on it?

No — this page uses a plain red rule instead. The animal belongs to the celebration, and this card is deliberately quieter.

Which side of the card is this?

The message side. The address side is a separate sheet — our address printing tool sets the addresses vertically the way Japan Post expects, and you print one side, turn the card over, and print the other.

Is anything uploaded?

No. The card is drawn in your browser.

Is it free?

Yes, and this one carries nothing of ours at the foot — it is a card you post to somebody, so it prints exactly as you see it.