When to Send Japanese Winter and Summer Greeting Cards (Kanchu, Shochu and Zansho Mimai): 2027 Dates and Sample Messages

The 5 seasonal greeting periods (2027 and 2026)

Seasonal greeting cards change name at the solar terms Risshun, Shousho and Risshuu. Risshun is around February 4 and Risshuu around August 7-8, and they shift by 1 day from year to year, so checking the dates every year is the reliable approach.

In 2027, Risshuu falls on August 8, so cards arriving up to August 7 are shochu mimai and those from the 8th are zansho mimai. In 2026, Risshuu was August 7, so the boundary is 1 day earlier. Solar term dates are calculated from the sun's position, and very occasionally a calendar differs by 1 day.

New Year cards and matsu no uchi: when winter greetings start depends on the region

Etiquette says New Year cards should arrive within "matsu no uchi", the period when New Year decorations stay up. Matsu no uchi runs to January 7 mainly in the Kanto region, while some areas such as Kansai run it to January 15. Kanchu mimai are sent after matsu no uchi ends, so their start date also varies by region.

If you don't know the recipient's region, it's safest to send a kanchu mimai rather than a New Year card from January 8 onward. If you received a New Year card and your reply is late, once matsu no uchi has passed, send a kanchu mimai instead of writing "Happy New Year".

4 situations for sending a winter greeting, with sample messages

A kanchu mimai is "a card asking after someone's health in the coldest part of the year", but in practice it's mostly used in place of a New Year card. Here are the 4 typical situations and messages you can use as they are.

• Don't use celebratory words such as "omedetou" (congratulations), 賀, 謹賀新年 (Happy New Year) or 迎春 (welcoming spring)
• Use an ordinary or privately made postcard, not a lottery New Year postcard
• When the recipient or you are in mourning, avoid bright photos or designs and choose something subdued
• Finish with the date written to the month, as in 令和九年　一月 (January, Reiwa 9)

How it relates to mourning postcards: if one arrived before New Year, or didn't

Mourning postcards (mochu hagaki, notices that you won't send New Year greetings) are normally sent to arrive in mid-November to early December, before people prepare their New Year cards. What happens next depends on whether you received or sent one.

Which relatives you observe mourning for is explained in How Many Degrees of Kinship for Bereavement Leave and Mourning, and the difference between the two ways of stating age at death on a mourning postcard (kyounen and gyounen) in Kyounen vs Gyounen and How to Calculate Them.

Lingering-cold greetings: after Risshun you can't use "kanchu"

After Risshun (February 4 in 2027), it's spring on the calendar. Even if the cold continues, you no longer say "kanchu" (midwinter); instead you send a yokan mimai, using "yokan", meaning "the cold that lingers after Risshun".

• Opening: "Yokan omimai moushiagemasu" (Wishing you well in the lingering cold).
• Seasonal greeting: "Though spring has begun in name only and cold days continue,"
• Closing: "As the lingering cold remains severe, please take care of yourself."
• Date: 令和九年　二月 (February, Reiwa 9)

Yokan mimai are usually sent by the end of February, but in regions or years where the cold persists they're used until early March. If you missed sending a kanchu mimai, or your mourning notice is late, simply write it as a yokan mimai once Risshun has passed.

How to write summer greetings, with examples

Shochu mimai are sent from Shousho (around July 7) to the day before Risshuu, and zansho mimai from Risshuu. In areas where the rainy season hasn't ended even after Shousho, people often wait until it ends before sending. Writing the postcard in the following order gives it a proper shape.

1. 1

   Greeting phrase

   Write "Shochu omimai moushiagemasu" (Wishing you well in the summer heat) or "Zansho omimai moushiagemasu" (Wishing you well in the lingering heat) slightly larger than the rest. Don't write an opening word such as Haikei.

2. 2

   Seasonal greeting and the recipient's well-being

   "The fierce heat continues day after day; I hope you are all keeping well." After Risshuu, write "Though autumn has begun in name only and the fierce heat continues,".

3. 3

   Your own news

   After "Thanks to you, we are all doing well," add a line about your summer plans or news.

4. 4

   Closing remarks

   "In this fierce heat, please take good care of yourself." For a zansho mimai, "As the lingering heat remains fierce, please take good care of yourself."

5. 5

   Date

   Shochu mimai are usually dated 令和九年　盛夏 (midsummer, Reiwa 9), and zansho mimai 令和九年　晩夏 (late summer, Reiwa 9) or 令和九年　立秋 (Risshuu, Reiwa 9).

Common mistakes with seasonal greeting cards

Because seasonal greeting cards are short, mistakes in wording or timing stand out. Check the following before sending.

For cards sent near a boundary, the best safeguard is to choose the posting date allowing for delivery time. Ordinary mail isn't delivered on weekends or public holidays in Japan, so leave extra time if a weekend falls in between.

How to check this year's boundary dates quickly

Since the dates of Risshun and Risshuu change every year, you need to check them when preparing seasonal cards for next year or the year after. Open "Traditional seasonal calendar" in the Seasonal Greeting and Letter Maker to see the dates of the 24 solar terms and 72 pentads for the chosen year, along with the sending periods for New Year cards, kanchu mimai, yokan mimai, shochu mimai and zansho mimai.

The same screen also shows the dates of other seasonal markers such as Setsubun, the start of the equinox week (higan), Hachijuu-hachiya, Nyuubai (start of the rainy season), Hangeshou, the start of doyou and Nihyaku-touka. For the seasonal greeting in the card's text, choosing the sending date lists the usable words, and you can also check them by early, mid and late month in Japanese Seasonal Greetings by Month. When sending a formal letter in an envelope rather than a postcard, see also How to Write a Formal Japanese Letter.

FAQ

By when should I send a kanchu mimai in 2027?

Send it to arrive by Setsubun, February 3, 2027. After Risshun on February 4, write it as a yokan mimai instead. The period starts on January 8, when matsu no uchi ends (January 16 in areas where matsu no uchi runs to January 15).

When is the boundary between shochu mimai and zansho mimai in 2027?

Risshuu falls on August 8 in 2027, so cards arriving up to August 7 are shochu mimai and those from August 8 are zansho mimai. In 2026, Risshuu was August 7, so the boundary differs by 1 day.

Can I send a kanchu mimai to someone in mourning?

Yes. It's customary to refrain from sending New Year cards to people in mourning and to send a kanchu mimai after matsu no uchi to express condolences and concern. Avoid celebratory words such as "omedetou" and bright designs.

Can I use a New Year postcard for a kanchu mimai?

No. A kanchu mimai isn't a New Year card, so use an ordinary or privately made postcard, not a lottery New Year postcard. Leftover New Year postcards can be exchanged for ordinary postcards and the like at a post office for a fee.

Do seasonal greeting postcards need "Haikei"?

No. Seasonal greeting cards such as kanchu mimai and shochu mimai normally start with the greeting phrase, such as "Kanchu omimai moushiagemasu", and leave out opening and closing words.