"I'll get my act together from now on." "I'll even write New Year's cards!" Mr. Sawabe promised Ms. Haru.

Japan Post held the "2015 New Year's Postcard with Lucky Money Sticker Sales Launch Ceremony" at JP Tower in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, on October 30.

At the outset, President Toru Takahashi stated, "New Year's cards began sales in 1949, marking 65 years of history this year. While we've continuously innovated, we will now provide diverse systems and ways to enjoy them, responding to the unique uses seen in recent years." This year, alongside the "Yubin-nenga.jp" website supporting New Year's card creation, the company introduced services aligned with current trends. These include the launch of "Hello Kitty New Year's Cards" featuring the company's first AR (augmented reality) functionality, the start of a new service in partnership with "LINE," and the provision of an app enabling users to create and post New Year's cards directly from their smartphones. The initial planned issuance for 2015 New Year's postcards is approximately 3.2 billion cards.

 
 
 
 

On stage, image characters comedian duo Haraichi's Yu Sawabe and actress Haru took the stage and shared memories related to New Year's cards. Regarding this year, Haru revealed her plan to "deliberately send cards to close friends I interact with regularly," while Sawabe shared his intention to "write something I usually can't say to my partner and send it." They also stated, "New Year's cards are a wonderful tradition. We hope everyone exchanges them with many people to deepen their bonds," and "We hope you enjoy writing New Year's cards while picturing the faces of those who have helped you."

The TV commercial featuring the two, titled "Proper New Year's Cards: Part 1 (Resolution)," began airing the same day. In an apartment room, Haru accepts a proposal. Overwhelmed by the suddenness, Sawabe declares his resolution: "I'm going to do things properly from now on." Later, seeing news about New Year's postcard sales starting on TV, Sawabe reaffirms his resolve: "I'll write New Year's cards too!" "I'll write them properly!" The commercial features the young couple's endearing exchange. Its tagline is "Proper New Year's Cards. Proper Adults." A sequel is eagerly anticipated.

Postal New Year's Cards.jp: http://yubin-nenga.jp/index.html