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Set against the backdrop of pine and bamboo arrangements and intricately folded red and white strips of paper, the traditional foods for the Japanese New Year, or shо̄gatsu (正月), are as vibrantly colored and symbolic as the decorations. The carefully portioned foods packaged in luxurious lacquered boxes seem fit for a banquet, and seasonal soups, noodles, and stews are there to warm your bones on a cold winter evening as you count the minutes to midnight. The only question is: Which Japanese New Year food should you try first?
Want to try your hand at making these dishes? While the ingredients may be hard to find in your local grocery store, a nearby international food store may have exactly what you need directly from Japan. The labels may not be entirely in English, but learning Japanese through Rosetta Stone can help with that. Using the Rosetta Stone app, you can practice reading all three Japanese writing systems through bite-size lessons, stories, and more.
What is Japanese New Year food?
The food made for shо̄gatsu is about more than just flavor and culinary enjoyment: It all carries different well wishes for the coming year. Auspicious combinations of red and white are seen in a variety of Japanese holidays (even the Japanese national flag is red and white) and the same is true for New Year’s. Foods are lucky based on their individual ingredients, shape, and even their name!
The traditional Japanese food that the majority of people in Japan enjoy together have some variance by region, but the core meaning and sentiments remain:
- osechi ryо̄ri (お節料理): multi-tiered lacquered box with a variety of auspicious foods
- toshikoshi soba (年越しそば): buckwheat noodles in broth
- mochi (餅): rice cakes that feature in decorations, desserts, and soup
Osechi ryо̄ri: a Japanese New Year feast
The star of Japanese New Year cuisine, osechi ryо̄ri, is actually many foods in one. Stacked lacquered boxes called jūbako (重箱) are filled with small portions of different dishes each packed with meaning and well wishes for the coming year. While the food is meant to be eaten and enjoyed, it is also meant to be visually appealing, and the entire osechi ryо̄ri meal is carefully packed and arranged.
Because of the sheer number of individual dishes—usually more than a dozen—and the cooking time required for some of them, preparation is started days before January 1st. This allows for plenty of time to perform the rest of the shо̄gatsu traditions, such as cleaning the house top to bottom, before enjoying osechi ryо̄ri with friends and family once the new year arrives.
There are many dishes that can be included in osechi ryо̄ri, but here are nine of the most common regardless of region:
- kamaboko (かまぼこ): fish cakes
- kuromame (黒豆): sweet black soybeans
- datemaki (伊達巻): sweet rolled omelet
- kazunoko (数の子): herring roe
- kurikinton (栗金団): chestnut and sweet potato mash
- kobu-maki (昆布巻): kelp rolls
- ebi (エビ): shrimp
- kо̄haku namasu (紅白なます): radish and carrot salad
- nishime (煮しめ): simmered vegetables
Kamaboko
Made of white fish grounded into paste, kamaboko is found in Japanese cuisine all year round. The paste is molded into log shapes, after which it can be steamed, grilled, fried, or poached. For osechi ryо̄ri, it is most commonly steamed and cut into slices or decorative shapes.
Kamaboko visually stands out amongst the other foods due to its color. Half of the slices are white, and the other half have pink-colored exteriors. This is a classic example of the red and white combination seen everywhere during the New Year’s season.
Kuromame
Someone born in the United States is unlikely to associate soybeans or black beans with sweetness, but kuromame are black soybeans that defy that preconceived notion. The soybeans are soaked and simmered with sugar for several hours (even overnight) to create a simple, sweet, and savory dish. They symbolize health, fostering a hope for strength in the coming year.
The deep black color contrasts beautifully with the stark red of the jūbako, but they don’t always come by that color naturally. Historically, rusty nails are dropped into the pot because the iron oxide (rust) chemically reacts with the tannin in the beans to create a richer color.
Datemaki
Datemaki, the Japanese rolled omelet used in osechi ryо̄ri, is a variation of the more commonplace tamagoyaki (卵焼き). The usual recipe is a thin, cooked egg omelet seasoned with soup stock, mirin (味醂, cooking rice wine), and sugar. Datemaki are very similar, except there is an additional ingredient: hanpen (はんぺん), which is another type of white fish cake made from Japanese yam and white fish paste (surimi, すり身).
Some regions of Japan prefer to incorporate dashimaki (だし巻き) instead, which is more similar to the standard tamagoyaki and is made without the additional white fish cake. Regardless of how any individual family chooses to make it, the rolled egg resembles a scroll and brings good luck in studies and learning. Why not make some yourself to get a boost while you learn Japanese?
Kazunoko
Kazunoko is herring roe. Unlike salmon roe (ikura, いくら), the large red fish eggs often seen in sushi, herring roe looks more like a light yellow slice of fish or fruit from afar. Up close, you can see that it’s actually made of hundreds of tiny eggs! The name itself means “number” (数) and “children” (子). Accordingly, kazunoko is associated with fertility and family prosperity.
Kurikinton
Sweet and nutty, kurikinton is made with Japanese sweet potatoes (satsumaimo, さつま芋) and candied chestnuts. The chestnuts can be used in several types of traditional Japanese sweets, but kurikinton isn’t considered a dessert. Rather, it is another equal part of the greater assembly of foods included in osechi ryо̄ri.
The characters that make up the word kurikinton mean “chestnut” (栗), “gold” (金), and the first character from the word for dango (団子), which is a type of dumpling. The gold in its name and the yellow color means kurikinton is associated with prosperity and good luck.
Kobu-maki
The name of this rolled kelp is a play on words using a subtle shift in Japanese pronunciation. The edible kelp itself is called konbu (昆布), but the dish is called kobu-maki and not konbu-maki with the “n.” Why? The word for celebrate is yorokobu (喜ぶ). Because you’re welcoming the new year, kobu-maki is eaten to yoro–kobu—celebrate!
Ebi
Ebi simply means “shrimp,” and they stand out in the osechi ryо̄ri display. They are served whole with their heads and shells intact for presentation purposes. Bright red ebi are beautiful against the more varied colors found in the other dishes.
When cooked, shrimp curl in on themselves, which resembles the way a person’s back curves as they get older. This imagery—plus the front antennae that can resemble a very long beard—evokes old age, resulting in eating shrimp being thought to bring long life.
Kо̄haku namasu
Another white and red (or in this case, orange) representation, kо̄haku namasu is thinly sliced or shaved daikon (大根, Japanese radish) and carrot pickled in sweetened vinegar. It’s easy to make and prepare ahead of time, adds a nice pop of color, and has a light flavor that provides culinary balance.
Nishime
At its core, nishime is a stew made with root vegetables. It can be eaten any time of year (especially in the winter), but when eaten for New Year’s, it’s a literal melting pot of joy, happiness, and good fortune. Staples of this lucky dish include:
- lotus root (renkon, 蓮根): When sliced, they have multiple holes that allow you to see clearly through to the future.
- burdock root (gobо̄, 牛蒡): It grows straight into the ground and symbolizes stability.
- taro (satoimo, 里芋): A single taro plant produces multiple roots (and thus root vegetables), symbolizing fertility.
- shiitake mushroom: It is cut into a hexagon (reminiscent of a turtle) for longevity.
- carrot: Another splash of orange, they are cut into flower shapes to welcome spring.
Toshikoshi soba
One of the most popular and accessible Japanese New Year foods is toshikoshi soba, or “year-crossing” soba. Unlike osechi ryо̄ri, this food is meant to be eaten on New Year’s Eve—or о̄mimsoka (大晦日)—for good luck. According to one 2023 survey, nearly 80% of people in Japan had toshikoshi soba on New Year’s Eve!
Japanese soba is a noodle made of buckwheat, which is a type of seed rather than a grain like wheat. The plant is hardy and thus fosters resilience. Noodles are long, symbolizing a long life. Once bitten, they break easily, just as we hope the troubles of last year can be easily broken away from the new year.
Ozо̄ni
Ozо̄ni (お雑煮) is a warm broth-based soup with mochi (rice cake) that is normally eaten on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. The warm, stretchy mochi is somewhat infamous for being a choking hazard if not sufficiently chewed before swallowing, but safe eating practices go hand in hand with the good health the soup is said to bring!
Beyond the broth and mochi, the rest of the ingredients in ozо̄ni vary by region. Recipes in the Tokyo area can include chicken and leafy vegetables in a clear broth. Meanwhile, ozо̄ni made in the Kansai area of Japan around Kyoto and Osaka tend to have a cloudy, miso-based soup with more root vegetables like daikon and carrots.
Mochi
Japanese rice cakes are not only food but are also found in New Year’s decorations and celebrations. A popular activity at the beginning of the year is watching mochi being made by experts pounding the dough with a mallet in a heart-racing display of perfect teamwork, called mochitsuki (餅つき).
One of the central decorations of shо̄gatsu is kagami mochi (鏡餅, “mirror rice cakes”), which is two large rice cakes stacked on top of each other with a Japanese orange (daidai, 橙) resting on top. The food doesn’t get tossed when the holiday ends. Instead, it’s repurposed into new treats for good luck. The hardened mochi is broken apart (never cut with a knife!) in a small ceremony called kagami biraki (鏡開き), or “opening the mirror.”
Isobeyaki
Grilling isobeyaki (磯辺焼き) is an easy way to reuse leftover mochi. The pieces of mochi can be cooked in a pan, a grill, or similar with a dash of oil. A little bit of soy sauce and sugar are mixed together and then poured over the hot mochi. Sheets of dried seaweed (nori) are used to pick up the finished product, and voila! A perfect New Year’s snack.
Zenzai
Also called oshiruko (お汁粉) in some parts of Japan, zenzai (善哉) is a Japanese dessert using mochi and anko (餡子, sweet red beans). Usually a soup, zenzai is made by cooking the beans in water until they are soft enough to mash. The rice cakes are toasted separately and then added to the soup for a warm winter treat.
