This nengajo rabbit even has a name and an intriguing backstory.
Japan is more traditional to send New Years cards called nengajo to family, friends, and those whove helped you out during the year. Studio Ghibli enjoys its music as well, but instead of just sending cards out to bigwigs and head honchos behind the scenes, it sends a special nengajo to fans via its social media channels.
U.S. nengajo has its common image indicating that an animal is a sign of the zodiac for the next year. Perhaps last year was Year of the Tiger, and now thats the image Ghibli used for its 2022 nengajo.
Ghibli co-founder and director Hayao Miyazaki draw the tiger.
STUDIO GHIBLI (@JP_GHIBLI) December 31, 2021
Fans of nengajo last years are evstatic and fans expect studio to follow up on Miyazaki’s 2023 book, The Year of the Rabbit. Studio sank and posted the below greeting in 2023 at the fire of midnight.
STUDIO GHIBLI (@JP_GHIBLI) Dec 31, 2022
Tiger comes with standard New Year greeting saying Happy New Year during last years. THANK YOU for supporting us in the year, this year rabbit came with a positive message that gave us an intriguing backstory to the new character:
Happy New Year. Ms Miyazaki tames rabbit. Uu-chan’s name. Sulfate named Fuu-chan seems to have twin named. Thank you for your continued support in year.
The 81-year-old director will not only draw a new year, but will also give it a name and a backstory. Uu-chan is a cute nod to usagi, Japanese word for rabbit, while Fuu-chan serves two functions, short for both futago (twin) and fuku (luck) which often used at this time of year in fukubukuro lucky bags, for example to wish for prosperity.
MYYazakis signature rabbit drawback while sharing characters backstory was like chasing carrot in their faces
Wos Fuu-chan? Id love to see U-chans twin Fuu-chan! Wanna meet Fuu-chan! U-chan looks cute though im looking forward to Fuu-chan.! Fuu-chan looks like Uu-chan, then must be cute!
Fuu-chans twin, you might see a pretty good picture to show what it could look like. But good have to wait and see if Miyazaki will be sharing Fuu-chan with world, or will hell be in all hands with alls imagination?.
Fuu-chan mention could have been hidden invite for fans to draw twin in return New Years card to the studio, but no one has done yet – why not try?
Thank you to New Year’s studio for such a great fukubukuro lucky bag, and cute Catbus and Totoro decorations!
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