Have you ever heard of Shochu-Mimai（暑中見舞い） or Zansho-Mimai （残暑見舞い）cards? There is a tradition in Japan to write to families and friends offering best wishes for the hot season.
Shochu-Mimai cards are for the first half of the summer season. To be more specific, for this year Shochu-Mimai cards were good to go from Jul 7th when the rainy season ended, till Aug 6th. Zansho-Mimai cards are for the latter summer season – from Aug 7th till Sep 6th. The difference between these two are the timing and the seasonal words that should be used. If you receive a Shochu-Mimai and intend to write back after Aug 7th, you should be getting back with a Zansho-Mimai card.
Generally, either of these seasonal greeting cards consist of below:
- Greetings of the season
- Ask whether the recipient is doing well
- Sender’s status
- Wishing for the recipient’s peace and quiet
- Complimentary close
Let us know if you are interested in taking part of this Japanese summer culture! We will get back to you with more tips and advises 🙂
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