The 2012 Nengajo Design Contest

Congratulations to the winners of the
2012 Nengajo Design Contest!

Adult Division: Lasha Tamae
Baltimore, MD

I'm excited and happy that I won, but just happy for being able to enter the contest at all.

I have a high interest in Japan because I actually am part Japanese (half to be exact). I was born in Okinawa and lived there until I was about 6 years old. Then I moved to America and stayed here. Even though I was little when I lived [in Japan] I loved it! I loved the people, the culture, and especially the food. But now that I'm older I am able to fully appreciate it more. I guess you can say that Japan is in my blood.

I entered the contest last year, so I knew about it this year. I was looking around for some fun drawing-related contests to enter just for kicks and I stumbled upon the nengajo contest. I thought it was perfect!

For the design I wanted to draw something [that would] appeal to kids as much as adults. I decided to dress up a boy and a girl in a Dragon Hoodie. The concept came from a popular pajama in japan called the kigurumi. As for the style and colors, I wanted to make it simple enough where the message gets across but it's still fun and playful.

THANK YOU for letting me participate in the contest!

-Lasha Tamae



Jasmine Ying

Youth Division: Jasmine Ying
Torrance, CA

Wow! I never expected I would win! That's amazing!

I first discovered Japanese culture and Japan when I watched the Pokemon and Yu-gi-oh cartoons as a child. As I grew older, I watched documentaries about Asia and its history. I also watched Dragon Ball Z when it aired.

I found out about the Design Contest when my Japanese teacher at school told our class to design a card for it so we could learn more about other cultures while comparing them to our own.

The inspiration behind my design came from comparing Western [and] Eastern dragons... Cherry blossoms are commonly associated with Japan and its history, so I added them to give it more detail and a better design.

Thank you for selecting me as the winner! It means a lot to me.

-Jasmine Ying

Jasmine Ying


...and also to the Runners-Up!

Adult Division: Kiersten Goins
Silver Spring, MD

My grandmother was issei (first-generation Japanese), so I have always been interested in my Japanese heritage. She passed away this past summer and I thought it would make her proud to see me design a nengajo.

I found out about the contest from an email I received on the Embassy of Japan's mailing list.

I think kokeshi are adorable! It's really interesting how an artist can use the foundation of a simple spherical head with a cylindrical body and create something unique and beautiful. I wanted to playfully show the bonds of friendship between Japan and the U.S. by representing the 2 countries with kokeshi. The kagami mochi and gohei in the background references the ceremonial aspect that is so important to the Japanese New Year celebration. I wanted the dragon on the fan to be a little playful like the kokeshi, but a little scary too!

Thanks!

-Kiersten Goins

Kiersten Goins

Youth Division: Kaila Burnett
Torrance, CA

Thank you very much, I am honored to have been chosen as the runner up! It was very fun and unexpected to have even been put in the top 10!

Freshman year (2009-10) was around the time that I started getting interested in Japan's culture. Since I love to sketch, I became more familiar with Japanese animator and director Hayao Miyazaki's work, such as Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, Kiki's Delivery Service, Ponyo, etc. I became even more interested in the Japanese culture since I was learning and observing it in his movies. Being in a Japanese language class in high school also motivated and excited me. Since my family and I also dance in the Japanese Obon festivals every year, I feel very close to the culture and am proud to be half Japanese! My Japanese grandparents also influenced me, and it is now on my list of things to do—to travel to Japan.

I found out about the 2012 Nengajo Design Contest through my Japanese language class at school. My teacher is very spontaneous and loves to inform us about the culture. She turned this contest into an assignment and project. She had also already been teaching us the concept of Sumie (Japanese Calligraphy) and how to write. So I used my slightly developed skill to write on my Nengajo.

-Kaila Burnett

Kaila Burnett

Commemorating Friendship Between Japan and the U.S.
in The Year of the Dragon

For official rules and how to enter, click here.

To learn more about the tradition of nengajo, click here.

Oshougatsu, or the New Year's holiday, is a very special time in Japan. Perhaps the most honored and celebrated of all Japanese holidays, preparations begin long in advance as people clean their homes from top to bottom (osouji), prepare traditional food to be eaten during the first three days of the new year (osechi ryouri), and write their New Year's greeting cards, or nengajo.

Much like the holiday greeting cards exchanged in the West, nengajo are an important part of Japan's New Year festivities. By sending nengajo to friends, family and colleagues, the people of Japan can share their wish for a peaceful, prosperous and happy new year.

Nengajo cards are distinctively designed with special New Year's motifs. Many feature the eto, or zodiac animal, of the upcoming year. Traditional themes such as kadomatsu (decorative arrangements of pine, bamboo and sometimes plum blossoms), kites, and the sun rising over Mount Fuji are also popular.

This year we're encouraging participants to create designs commemorating the kizuna, or bonds of friendship, between Japan and the U.S., or the 2012 centennial celebration of Tokyo's gift of 3,000 cherry trees to Washington, D.C.

The winning design will be sent out as the JICC's official New Year's greeting and appear in the official embassy newsletter, Japan Now. The winner will also get the chance to experience another beloved Japanese New Year's tradition when they receive a fukubukuro - a goodie bag full of fun surprises!

Official 2012 Nengajo Design Contest Rules

  • Open to people of all ages.
  • The design must fit the traditional postcard size of 4x6 inches.
  • Participants are encouraged to create designs celebrating the kizuna, or bonds of friendship, between Japan and the U.S., or the centennial anniversary of the gift of 3,000 cherry trees from the city of Tokyo to Washington, D.C. The year 2012 (or Heisei 24 in the Japanese calendar) should also be included.
  • The design must be the contestant's original artwork, not taken directly from any manga, or anime, a website, or other image or artwork protected by copyright.
  • Submissions must be received in digital format. High resolution photographs and scans of non-digital artwork can be uploaded to the JICC's Facebook page or sent by e-mail to jicc@ws.mofa.go.jp.
    Be sure to include your name, age, city, and state in the caption!
  • Designs must be received by e-mail or submitted to the JICC's Facebook by 5:00pm Eastern Standard Time on December 19th, 2011.

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Eto

Kanji for the dragon eto, or zodiac animal


 

 




Kadomatsu

Kadomatsu, a decorative arrangement of pine, bamboo and plum blossoms