Japanese New Year Osechi Ryori
Japanese new year or oshogatsu is one of the biggest holidays in japanese culture and is celebrated on the first day of the new year on january 1st.
Japanese new year osechi ryori. Japanese new year s food is called osechi ryori and colorful dishes are packed in layers of lacquer boxes called jubako. The kinds of osechi dishes prepared at japanese homes vary from region to region. Osechi ryori often shortened to simply osechi is the name for the traditional new year s feast of an exquisitely prepared collection of foods that is shared among family members or friends who have gathered for shogatsu.
Common dishes are kobumaki simmered kombu rolls kuromame simmered black soybeans kurikinton mashed sweet potato with sweet chestnuts. Oshogatsu is honored with visits to local shrines to wish for good fortune and health in the upcoming year and of course celebrated with family and many delicious traditional foods known as osechi ryori. Placed in special boxes called juubako 重箱 osechi takes its origin at the heian period 794 1185.
Osechi ryouri 御節料理 is a traditional japanese meal served during new year. Osechi whether homemade or purchased from a shop are typically served in elegant stacked lacquer boxes called jubako. Ritual offerings of food used to be presented to the gods on sechinichi or days that marked the changing of the seasons according to traditional chinese almanacs that were used during this time.