As I mentioned before on this blog (including this post), Japanese people send friends and family 年賀状 (New Years postcards) every year and each of these postcards has a unique six digit serial number on the back lower-right-hand corner.
This number is for the annual お年玉 (Japan Postal New Years lottery drawing).
Every year in late January, the post office announces seven sets of winning numbers.
This year’s winning numbers were announced today.
They are:
— First Place (with a 1 in one-million chance of winning) postcards with the number 651694.
People who have a card with this number can choose a prize of either a digital TV,
a trip to Hawaii or any domestic (Japan) location,
a set of office supplies,
a laptop computer / digital camera / digital printer combo,
or a bicycle
— Second Place (with a 3 in one-million chance of winning) has winning numbers of either: 403580, 228949, or 022471.
These prizes are a choice of a wii Game set,
a digital camera and digital frame set,
a humidifier,
a domestic trip (with hotel, dinner, and lunch), or
a coffee maker.
— Third Place (1 in 10,000 chance) are cards with the last four digits of 8363.
The prize is a choice from a large variety of foods.
— Fourth Place (2 in 100 chance) are cards with the last two digits of either 69 or 02.
The prize is two Japanese postage stamps with pictures of a rabbit (2011 is “The Year of the Rabbit”).
Last year (2010), I had a post card with the winning number for a set of two stamps with pictures of a tiger (2010 was “the Year of the Tiger”)…and this year I have two postcards with winning numbers for stamps again.
Maybe one year we’ll win one of the big prizes.
Tokyo Five 
I wouldn’t mind winning the Tiger stamps 🙂 I love collecting anything Tiger related.
LikeLike
You’ll have to wait eleven more years for the next “Year of The Tiger”. 😀
LikeLike
That’s a cool sweepstakes, even if you don’t win the “big one”. I stopped playing any lottery games here in the U.S. years ago… I was spending $$$ with nothing to show for it. Sure, there were times I would win $50 (U.S.) on a $1 ticket, yet that was few and far between. Lotteries here advertise with the cheesy slogan: “You can’t win if you don’t play”… well, it should really be… “You can’t win and we’ll do everything in our power to make you a broke gambler”. Gee Metal whiz… I sound rather negative don’t I?
Regardless of the U.S. lottery games, that Japanese postcard “game” is obviously an annual social “event” for you are sending postcards to friends and family as well. It’s almost as if the “lottery” aspect of this event is gravy. What makes your site so immensely interesting, is that I’ve learned more about Japan’s current culture from you than any other source. (Plus you throw in Japanese History here and there too). Who knows… maybe the stamps you won will be worth big money in another 200 years! 🙂
LikeLike
>I stopped playing any lottery games here in the U.S. years ago… I was spending $$$ with nothing to show for it.
I have never tried the “big” lottery games. Every one in a while I’ll buy a “scratch” lottery ticket.
>that Japanese postcard “game” is obviously an annual social “event” for you are sending postcards to friends and family as well.
Yes, actually, the postcard is the “important” aspect of it. New Years postcards are to Japan what X-mas cards are to America—maybe even more important.
>It’s almost as if the “lottery” aspect of this event is gravy.
That’s right. It’s just a extra bonus.
>What makes your site so immensely interesting, is that I’ve learned more about Japan’s current culture from you than any other source.
Thank you very much.
>maybe the stamps you won will be worth big money in another 200 years!
Yeah, maybe I should pass them on to my kids to pass on to theirs and so on. 😉
LikeLike
I won the stamps, too. Yay for 69!
LikeLike
>I won the stamps, too.
Have you ever won anything in the Japanese New Year Postcard lottery before?
I have only ever won stamps a few times.
> Yay for 69!
I got one of each of the “stamps” numbers. One card ending in “69” and another ending in “02”.
LikeLike