The New Year's card that year, although it presumably confused our western friends, didn't turn out too badly. And for the first time, I used the traditional Japanese hagaki size, a pattern I have followed ever since ...

(click image for a larger version in a 'popup' window)

The design, by the way, is of a couple of labels pasted up on the wooden framed wall of a temple ... a common sight here. They read '1987' and 'ga-sho', a standard greeting used at the New Year.