Japan Post held the "2014 New Year's Greeting Card Lucky Draw Lottery" at JP Tower Hall & Conference in Marunouchi, Tokyo, on January 19.
At the outset, Japan Post President Toru Takahashi took the stage. He shared the origin story of the New Year's postcard with attached lucky money—a proposal reportedly made by a private citizen in Kyoto—and outlined the evolution of the lucky money prizes. "The first-prize gift for the 1950 edition was a sewing machine, and the second prize was pure wool suit fabric. You can really see the society of that time reflected in it. The prizes have changed to reflect the times, and this year, for the first time, cash is the first prize. It truly is a New Year's gift," he said in his address.
Next, comedians Akihiro Nishino and Yuta Kajiwara of the duo King Kong appeared as witnesses to the lottery drawing. Elite Yankee members Minoru Tachibana and Eigo Nishijima appeared as the drawers, shooting arrows at the roulette wheel. Nishino mentioned, "Every year, I send New Year's cards featuring my own illustrations to the staff who've helped me." His partner Kajiwara retorted, "I never get one," then added, "I really enjoy selecting photos of my three kids one by one with my wife for the cards." The Elite Yankee duo expressed their delight, saying, "We used to watch the lottery on TV as kids. Being able to help out feels like a dream come true."
The draw progressed through third, second, and first prizes, with cheers erupting from the venue each time a number was confirmed, building excitement. After the draw concluded, King Kong and Elite Yankee held a "New Year's Money Comedy Mini-Live" for the general audience.
The winning numbers and prizes for this event were: 1st prize - last 5 digits "97085" for ¥10,000 cash; 2nd prize - last 4 digits "2344" for hometown gift packages; 3rd prize - last 2 digits "72" or "74" for New Year's stamp sheets. Prize redemption runs from January 20th to July 22nd. Details can be viewed on Japan Post's special website.
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