It＊s that time of year again, when Japanese people get out their lists of friends and business acquaintances in order to send out 爛掔袨 (紳梗紳眶硃轍身), postcards that deliver seasonal greetings and well wishes for the new year. But some fear this tradition may soon disappear altogether.
According to recent reports, more and more people have been purchasing stamps and stickers that read 爛掔袨元引中 (紳梗紳眶硃轍身-jimai), which essentially announce the sender is opting out of the 爛掔袨 custom. You＊ll find them stuck to the final 爛掔袨.
The suffix ‵元引中 (~jimai) comes from the verb 帊敃丹 (shimau), which means to put something away or to terminate it. The suffix is also seen in the words 虛元引中 (mise-jimai, going out of business) and 贏元引中 (haka-jimai, dismantling a family tomb/grave).
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