Step into the New Year surrounded by lucky charms. In Japan, the year often begins with Hatsumōde—the first shrine visit—to pray for happiness and prosperity. Inspired by this cherished tradition, our New Year’s Box is brimming with auspicious motifs symbolizing health, vitality, success, and longevity.
Bring the spirit of celebration to your desk and journal with stationery that feels like a collection of lucky charms—perfect for welcoming the year with brightness, intention, and joy.
ROKKAKU’s foil stamping techniques bring the natural motifs on these envelopes to life in a way that evokes the ethereal sensation of connecting with nature. You will either receive a Mt.Fuji, River or Ocean scene, all featuring a plover motif. The foil stamping has a unique sheen, and uses multiple layers to add texture and depth.
The plover or chidori is an auspicious motif that can be used to symbolise luck, bliss, longevity, marital bliss but above all it is a symbol of perseverance and the ability to overcome challenges. |  |
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Clad in gold, these washi stickers beam auspiciousness from top to bottom. Each motif carries deep cultural symbolism and are all common sights around new-years time in Japan. Luckily (pun intended) the names have all been included, so feel free to research ones that connect with you.
Here are some examples:
Shishimai: It depicts the costume of someone doing a traditional “lion-dance”. If it bites your head, it’s said to chew off any evil spirits. Sea bream: The Japanese name “Tai” sounds like the word for joyful (medetai) and its red scales and white flesh is a lucky color combo.The magic mallet: Said to build happiness and luck with each swing. |  |
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Adorable Mt. Fuji designs, depicted at different times of day. These designs originate from Hamamoyo’s tenugui cloths and were popular enough to become mini stickies to peek up from your notebook as index stickers, or be used as decoration both in and out of your books.
Mount Fuji is an auspicious motif representing eternal life, power and long heritage. This mountain is part of Japan’s national soul, a symbol that has captured the hearts of people for hundreds of years. |  |
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This origami set comes with envelopes intended to write, fold and send!
The designs are all auspicious motifs, including the crane and turtle which happen to be easy to fold individually, but can actually fold them both from a single piece of paper, like this video demonstrates.
The crane and turtle are often presented in pairs as an old idiom claims “cranes live for 1000 years and turtles 10,000 years”. |  |
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This quality washi tape is defined by its 20mm width, and light transparency that is especially visible on the white mochi rabbit designs. Try to color the surface below the mochi to get cute color variations! The design depicts a long grill and a poor soul struggling to grab the elastic toasted mochi rabbit.
Mochi are glutenous rice cakes made by steaming rice and then pummeling it with a mallet in a big stone mortar. It is an auspicious motif for family bonds and longevity and resilience, owing to its elastic nature and that families and communities make mochi together early in the new year. The rabbit is auspicious as it represents leaping over challenges. |  |
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Elegant stickers of washi paper paired with gold foil expertly blending with the designs, depicting origami cranes folded with gradients and patterns. Have you ever folded a crane? It’s surprisingly easy, so why not try with the letter set included in this box?
The crane is an auspicious symbol of a long and prosperous life, and is regularly tied to fidelity in relationships as well as mindset. Folding 1000 cranes is said to grant a wish, and was popularized by Sadako Sasami, a victim of the Hiroshima atomic bomb who aimed to fold 1000 before inevitably passing away from leukemia. |  |
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The mother of all erasers with an amount of pieces rivalling a LEGO set! Some of the erasers like the foxes or lanterns can be separated despite being pre-assembled. Iwako erasers are PVC-free and environmentally friendly, but can you really bring yourself to use them?
The shinto shrine is a place where a Kami has been enshrined or revered. As such it goes without saying the shrine is an auspicious motif, along with the gates, lanterns and two inari foxes overlooking the entrance. Inari shrines are dedicated to the Inari Okami (Great Fox God) and represent rice, agriculture, fertility and alcohol, among others. |  |
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A file folder features an award-winning design of auspicious motifs that evoke new-years. The front shows a paper mache tiger, a symbol of strength, bravery and vitality for young children. The other figure is one of the 7 lucky gods, Ebisu. He’s usually depicted with a bag and fishing rod, but here he’s caught a sea bream, another lucky motif.
The file itself is sturdy and striking with fun colors while remaining sophisticated. Both the tiger and Ebisu are deeply tied to Kansai, the region of Japan ZenPop inhabits. |  |
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An elegant hand made brush pen that owes its striking visual and comfortable grip to the iconic washi paper that covers its body. Feeling the texture of quality Japanese paper in your palm, while applying your strokes may have you feel as transported back in time.
The patterns inden and yuzen are of different schools that both apply auspicious symbols. Yuzen are patterns commonly seen on kimono, while Inden patterns are inspired by a leather branding technique used on various leathers including warrior armour of high status. |  |
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Whether it’s constructive criticisms or 10/10’s, we are forever grateful to anyone taking the time to evaluate us!
We’re seeking honest reviews to spread the word about our boxes and store.
Whether it’s constructive criticisms or 10/10’s, we are forever grateful to anyone taking the time to evaluate us!
