お年玉
おとしだま
otoshidama
= New Year’s gift money / money given to children at New Year’s
お年玉 (otoshidama) is the New Year’s monetary gift that Japanese adults give to children — tucked into decorated envelopes called ポチ袋 (pochi-bukuro), it is one of the most eagerly anticipated traditions of Japanese New Year’s, and for Japanese children, receiving and managing their otoshidama is often their first experience with money.
Otoshidama is cash given in small decorative envelopes from relatives and family friends to children during the New Year’s (正月, shougatsu) period. The amounts are typically graduated by the child’s age: small amounts for younger children, larger sums for older children and teenagers. Adults do not give otoshidama to other adults. Common phrases: お年玉をもらう (otoshidama wo morau — to receive New Year’s money), お年玉をあげる (otoshidama wo ageru — to give New Year’s money), お年玉袋 (otoshidama-bukuro — the envelope used for otoshidama).
The typical range for otoshidama in Japan: ages 0–3 receive 1,000–2,000 yen, elementary school students receive 3,000–5,000 yen, middle and high school students receive 5,000–10,000 yen. Adults who receive otoshidama at adult age (if they look young) sometimes joke about it. Parents often encourage children to save a portion in a 郵便貯金 (yuubin chokin — postal savings account) rather than spending it all immediately.
お (o) is an honorific prefix. 年 (toshi/nen) means ‘year.’ 玉 (tama/dama) means ‘gem,’ ‘jewel,’ or ‘ball.’ Together: the jewel/treasure of the year — originally referring to a sacred rice cake offered to the god of the New Year, later evolving into its current monetary form.
Everyday use
お正月に親戚の家を回ってお年玉をもらった。
Oshougatsu ni shinseki no ie wo mawatte otoshidama wo moratta.
I visited relatives’ homes during New Year’s and received gift money.
Casual / Social Media
甥っ子にお年玉あげたら目をキラキラさせてかわいすぎた
Oikko ni otoshidama ageta ra me wo kira kira sasete kawaisugita
When I gave my nephew New Year’s money his eyes sparkled and it was the cutest thing
Formal / Cultural context
お年玉の相場は受取人の年齢・親族関係・地域慣習によって異なるが、現代では電子マネーやQRコード決済による贈与を容認する家庭も増えつつある。
Otoshidama no souba wa uketo ri-nin no nenrei shinseki kankei chiiki kanshuu ni yotte kotonaru ga, gendai de wa denshi manee ya QR koodo kessai ni yoru zouyo wo younin suru katei mo fuetsutsaru.
The standard amount for otoshidama varies by the recipient’s age, family relationship, and regional custom, but households accepting gifts via electronic money or QR code payment are also increasing in modern times.
お年玉 has a long history rooted in Shinto tradition. Originally, 年玉 referred to the round rice cake (鏡餅, kagami-mochi) offered to 年神 (toshigami — the god of the New Year), who was believed to bring blessings and vitality for the coming year. Over time, the gift transformed from rice cakes to actual currency, and the custom of giving cash in envelopes to children became standardized in the post-war period as Japan’s cash economy grew. The ポチ袋 (pochi-bukuro — small decorative envelope) used for otoshidama are typically designed with zodiac animals or traditional patterns for the year.
For Japanese children, otoshidama represents one of the few occasions when they receive a significant sum of money, and how they spend or save it becomes a formative financial experience. Many parents take children to open their first bank account (通帳, tsuuchou — passbook savings) with their otoshidama, making New Year’s a moment of financial education as well as celebration. With the rise of cashless payment systems, some families now send digital otoshidama via apps — a practice that older relatives sometimes find impersonal but that younger family members increasingly prefer for convenience.
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