While itโs still New Yearโs Eve Day for half of the world, Japan is now four hours into 2025. Many of us are entering the new year with a mix of dread and anticipation, so itโs important to hold onto the familiar and the fun. One such tradition comes from the creator of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Hirohiko Araki, who has been releasing illustrated JJBA greeting cards nearly every year since 1991.
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At the stroke of midnight in Japan, Hirohiko Araki posted his 2025 New Yearโs illustrated card. The image depicts the current The JOJOLands protagonist, Jodio Joestar. He strikes a pose evoking the memory of Part 4 – Diamond is Unbreakable – with a magenta snake circling his arm. But much like any greeting card, the attached message is just as eagerly anticipated by the fans.
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JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Creator Has Continued New Year’s Card Tradition Since 1991
Roughly translated, Araki included this message for fans with the illustration:
“Happy New Year
Reiwa Era Year 7 (2025)
Thank you for all your support during the past year.
I sincerely wish you all good health and happiness.
I humbly ask for your continued support this year as well.“
The official JoJo X (formerly Twitter) account posted the illustration with the following message:
“Happy New Year!
Mr. Hirohiko Araki created a New Yearโs card, and we now share it with you.
We look forward to your continued support in 2025.“
Araki has created these greeting cards almost every year since 1991 – only missing three out of thirty-four. For anyone who likes percentages, Araki published a card 90% of the time. Starting in 2013, Araki began incorporating the Chinese Zodiac animal associated with the new year. Heโs also used the New Yearโs cards to announce or tease new manga updates. In 2023, Araki teased the design for Jodio Joestar by including his profile on a rabbit.
There Could Be Story Clues in Araki’s 2025 New Year’s Card
This year, Araki may be foreshadowing a return to Morioh – a desire he previously expressed in a 2007 interview with Jump Square. Given that Part 9 takes place in Hawaii, it wouldnโt be hard for the character to take a 6-hour flight to Japan.
Notably, the snake forms an ouroboros, a symbol used to represent a never-ending cycle. Typically, the cycle refers to life and death. However, after 36 (soon to be 37) years of crafting a masterful series, Araki adds details and imagery deliberately. In Japanese mythology, snake yokai were depicted as man-eating monsters, giving snakes a negative connotation. However, due to the influence of Chinese mythology, snakes can also be a positive symbol. In the case of Jodio Joestar, it references his quest for wealth and his journey.
JoJoโs Bizarre Adventure can currently be streamed on Crunchyroll and Netflix, with Part 6 exclusively on the latter.
The JOJOLands is an ongoing manga series and marks the ninth part of the JoJoโs Bizarre Adventure series. Written by Hirohiko Araki, the series follows a different generation of the Joestar family, with each part featuring its own plot, characters, and setting. The series is being translated and released by VIZ Media. Currently, English translations are up to Part 6: Stone Ocean.
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