Above: Front and reverse of a family’s small business 1931 New Year’s advertising postcard. On the reverse side, it reads: “On the occasion of a happy New Year, I congratulate you and your family on your good health and ask for your continued patronage. [From] Yuzo Ibe, wife Keiko, eldest daughter Kotobuki and second daughter Mitsuko.”

Born
2027, 2015, 2003, 1991, 1979,
1967, 1955, 1943, 1931, 1919, 1907

“Year of the Goat (Sheep)”, New Years postcard, c. 1931.

“There has been much discussion concerning the reasons for the scarcity of sheep and goats in Japan. Some authorities attribute this scarcity to the damp atmosphere and frequent summer rains

“Year of the Goat (Sheep)”, New Years postcard, c. 1931.

“The Japanese word for sheep is ‘hitsuji’. The kanji character for sheep [羊] came from the shape of a sheep’s head with two horns, four legs and a tail. ‘Lamb’ is ‘kohitsuji’, ‘shepherd’ is ‘hitsujikai’, ‘wool’ is ‘youmou’. Sometimes you’ll find Year of the Ram, but never Year of the Ewe, Year of the Wether, Year of the Billy Goat or Year of the Nanny Goat.

“Sheep are rare in Japan since the climate of Japan, which is very humid, is not conducive to raising sheep. Most wool and mutton are imported from Australia, New Zealand or Taiwan. The sheep’s bleat (in Japanese) is ‘mee mee’.

“Like the astrological zodiac there are all sorts of things which influence individual people. The Japanese believe that people who are born in the same animal year share similar personality and character. People born in the year of the sheep are elegant, highly accomplished in the arts, passionate about nature.”