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otoshidama

How much money should you give children for New Year’s otoshidama? Adults weigh in

Grown-ups dish on the appropriate amounts of New Year’s money to gift depending on the age of a child.

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Supporting anime/idol crush tops Japanese teen girls’ New Year’s cash spending targets【Survey】

For those who aren’t planning to hang on to their monetary presents from grandma and grandpa, advancing their oshi is the top plan.

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Another New Year cash giveaway hinted at by former Zozotown CEO Yusaku Maezawa

This time he’s doling out the dough on YouTube it seems.

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Twitter’s most retweeted tweet of all time: New record set by Zozotown billionaire Yusaku Maezawa

The new world record comes with the offer of 1 million yen each for 100 lucky people.

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Flush with New Year’s present cash, Japanese kids can now look forward to…saving it

No need to worry about them spending it all in one place when they aren’t going to spend any of it.

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At what age should parents stop giving kids New Year’s otoshidama money? Japanese netizens answer

It turns out these envelopes of money can be quite controversial.

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We turn 100,000 yen into 100,000 one-yen coins, in the spirit of New Year’s generosity

Nothing says “Thanks for all your hard work!” like a bonus from your boss given entirely in Japan’s smallest-denomination coins.

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Traditional Japanese holiday gets boost with an injection of cold hard cash

A lesser-known Yamagata Prefecture custom may just be what Obon needs to stave off invasive species of the holiday kingdom like Halloween, Christmas, and Easter.

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Boss sends employees New Year’s bonus via mobile app, fines anyone who opens it during work hours

Think your boss is cruel? Be glad you don’t work for this guy!

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How much should we give in a New Year’s otoshidama without looking like a jerk?

A lot of Japanese people complain about the tipping culture in the US and Canada. Although parting with more money than necessary is a big part of the complaint, a lot of people in Japan dislike the mental anguish of figuring out how much is appropriate.

However, the New Year’s traditional cash presents of otoshidama, while great for kids, are just as riddled with anxiety for adults. Rather than the ambiguous sentimental value of presents, an envelope filled with cash is instantly quantifiable and wide open to judgment.

To avoid looking like a cheapskate or breaking your own bank account, our reporter surveyed those around her to figure out what the going rates for otoshidama are these days.

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Otoshidama: How kids in Japan get rich once a year

With Christmas being just a regular day and the exchanging of gifts something of a rarity, we often feel that kids in Japan are missing out somewhat. Of course, not every Westerner is fortunate enough to know the joy of waking up on December 25 and finding presents–brought by a benevolent bearded man, no less–under the Christmas tree or at the foot of their bed, but those who are would most likely agree that it’s a pretty spectacular feeling for a kid to have.

But while the rest of the world is coming to realise that the toys they asked for aren’t quite as cool as they’d expected and dreading going back to school or work, kids in Japan are making out like bandits and getting not presents but cold, hard cash on New Year’s Day in the form of otoshidama.

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Cha-Ching! Kids in Japan Receive Up to $1,500 During New Year’s

Happy New Year!  Here’s a fist full of cash!

In Japan, there are many interesting New Year’s traditions. Aside from watching TV all night, risking your life eating mochi, and indulging in a ton of specially prepared food, those lucky enough to be young receive money.

Otoshidama, roughly translated as “New Year’s gift,” is the act of giving children small, decorated envelopes filled with money during New Year’s. Parents, relatives, and close friends usually give Otoshidama to children in elementary school to high school.

After collecting envelopes full of money from their closest adult relatives and friends, these kids make out like bandits. But just how much are these kids hauling in? The Benesse Corporation conducted a survey of elementary school children to find out.

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