How Do You Address a Nengajo Properly?
Addressing a nengajo correctly matters more than it would on an American greeting card, because the address side is part of the presentation — recipients notice a well-written front. Here are the conventions, and the postal requirements underneath them.
The physical card
A nengajo is a standard postcard under Japan Post's rules, which define the size and weight a card must meet to travel at the postcard rate; the official specifications and current rates are on Japan Post's domestic postage page for letters and postcards. Official New Year's postcards sold by Japan Post already meet the spec and carry prepaid postage. If you make your own card on plain stock, keep it to standard postcard dimensions or it will need letter-rate postage instead.
Layout: vertical or horizontal
Traditional nengajo are addressed vertically: the recipient's address on the right side of the card, written top to bottom, with the name in larger characters down the center, and the sender's details smaller at the lower left. Horizontal (Western-style) addressing is also acceptable and common for casual cards or when writing in rōmaji. Whichever you choose, the recipient's name should be the most prominent element on the card.
The postal code goes in the printed boxes at the top of official cards. Getting it right matters — Japanese mail sorting leans heavily on the seven-digit code.
Honorifics: the one rule you must not miss
The recipient's name is always followed by 様 (sama), the respectful suffix used in addresses — never san, and never bare. A few refinements:
- Writing to a household: the family head's full name with sama, or the family name followed by ご一家様 (go-ikka-sama, "and family") to address everyone.
- Writing to several named individuals: each name gets its own sama.
- Writing to a teacher or doctor, 先生 (sensei) can replace sama — but never stack them; "sensei-sama" is an error.
- Writing to a company or department rather than a person: use 御中 (onchū) after the organization name instead of sama.
On your own name — the sender — you use no honorific at all. Honorifics elevate others, never yourself.
Marking the card as New Year's mail
Official New Year's postcards are printed with 年賀 (nenga) below the stamp area, which tells the post office to hold the card for coordinated January 1 delivery rather than delivering it immediately. If you send a homemade card on plain stock during the December window, write 年賀 clearly in red in the same position — otherwise your card will simply arrive in December like ordinary mail. The timing system this connects to is explained in our guide to when to send nengajo.
Addressing cards internationally
For cards leaving Japan, Japan Post's overseas greeting card page sets out the format, size limits, and zone rates; addresses should follow the destination country's conventions. For the full picture — including sending from the US to Japan — see mailing nengajo overseas.
With the front handled, choose your greeting with our phrase guide.