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Update requirement as of November 29, 2017

Please leave 1 inch of the lamination material on the edge of the Nengajo card for the display purpose.

展示のため、ラミネーションを外枠１インチほど（約２センチ）残してください。

Thank you for your cooperation. We apologize for the late notice.

ご協力お願い申し上げます。

Please have your students submit the release form for Royal Hawaiian Center.

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Goals & Objectives

The Nengajō Contest is designed to provide students an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the relationships among perspectives, products, and practices of Japan in sending nengajō at New Years.
The contest is NOT an art contest although the design and the artistic talent will be a part of the criteria during the selection process.
The main purpose of this contest is to promote the cultural awareness in the Japanese language classes.
Teachers and students will have the opportunity to explore the history and custom of sending nengajō, research the classic and modern design styles of nengajō in Japan and create their own original nengajō by observing culturally appropriate format, rules and customs.

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Eligibility:

The sponsoring teacher must be an HATJ member in good standing (MUST have full membership by the beginning of the current school year) for the January of the calendar year - December of the calendar year.

Elementary (K-5), Middle(6-8 grades), High School Level:

Only 2 cards per category are allowed for each level (not grade) where you teach.
Each member can enter up to 8 Nengajo cards only.

Please click here for the link to the application form and labels

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COMPETITION LEVELS:	COMPETITION CATEGORIES:
Elementary (K-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12), College/University	Artistic, Comical, Original, Hawaiian

College/University Level:

Only 1 card by each entrant is allowed. Students of Japanese at the college/university level will be responsible for entering their own cards for the contest.

*A college/university student entrant must have a teacher who is an HATJ member in order to enter the contest.

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This year, ALL Nengajo cards will be on display at the Royal Hawaiian Center (RHC) in Waikiki during the new year season starting December 31, 2017 through the first week of January in the center court area of the center.

There will be a separate contest with the Japanese visitors’ casting their own votes on site to select the special award winners (top 4 winners will receive a $25 gift certificate from RHC).

To avoid getting your students’ Nengajo being damaged by the weather elements, we ask each entry be laminated in advance to qualify for this year’s Nengajo Contest. Please adhere to this special rule in order to qualify for the contest.

We expect that our Nengajo Contest will be featured by the local and international media during RHC’s Fukubukuro Festival on January 1, 2018 at the center court. Please encourage your students and their family to pay a visit during the event.

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Requirements for ALL submissions: (Cards that do not follow these instructions will be disqualified.)

Cards must be 4 X 6 unlined index cards (no lines on either side).
After selecting the top 8 cards, please double stock each Nengajo postcard by placing another blank index card on the back of your student’s Nengajo with non-staining glue or double-sided tape, a typed label (hand-written is not acceptable, cards with hand-written label will be disqualified) on the back provided in the application form. This is to avoid having the Nengajo cards to curl up by laminating them.
All cards MUST be laminated separately with a reasonable (¼ inches would be good) amount of margin left outside to avoid getting peeled off.
The design theme must focus on the upcoming 2018 Year of the dog.
Designs must be ORIGINAL and hand-drawn (not computer-generated).
Designs must be in good taste or praiseworthy across international cultures and societies.
A Nengajo application form must be completed.
The teacher or college/university student MUST enclose one self-addressed stamped 9x12 envelope with the submission. Nengajo cards will be discarded after the contest if such envelope is not enclosed.

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Elementary (K-5) School Rules	Middle (6-8) , High School and College/University Rules
Student’s full name must be written VERTICALLY on left-hand side of card in katakana* (unless name is of a Japanese origin). For horizontal design, name may be written horizontally at the bottom. Teacher assigned Japanese names are not allowed. *If katakana has not been introduced, hiragana is allowed. Please indicate in your application.
The design must include the year “2018” or “ニ〇一八” The design must include ONE of the following: 元旦、元日、一月一日、あけましておめでとう、戌 or　いぬ	The design must include at least the following: An appropriate New Year’s Greeting The year: “2018” or “ニ〇一八” The date: 元旦、元日、 or 一月一日in Kanji Kanji for year of the dog: 戌年or 戌

MANDATORY Elements based on level:

Click here for the judging rubric

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Other things to watch out for...

Do not write your name in 2 lines (rows or columns)
Do not place 「・」in between your name
Do not write your name bigger than other description (e.g. year, あけましておめでとう）
Be sure to check the spelling. Common mistakes for Hiragana ま、ほ、は、and Kanji 元旦、新年
It should be 二◯一八年、not 二◯十八年 or 二千十八
Correct Hiragana spelling for “sa” and “ki”
“Good standing” teacher’s membership status
Each teacher can submit only 2 cards per category
Using the white-out for correction
Using Sakura (cherry blossom) for New Year design is not acceptable. Ume (plum) is OK
Usage of the order of the rising sun (旭日日の丸）not allowed

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サンプル　年賀状

Sample Nengajo Cards

indicates good sample

indicates bad example, not acceptable

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スミス　ジョン

２０１８年

戌

ジョン　スミス

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