(御節料理, お節料理 or おせち) are traditional

Japanese New Year The is an annual festival that takes place in Japan. Since 1873, the official Japanese New Year has been celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar, on January 1 of each year, . Prior to 1872, traditional events of the Japanese New Year wer ...

foods. are easily recognizable by their special boxes called ''

jūbako are tiered boxes used to hold and present food in Japan. The boxes are often used to hold ''osechi'', foods traditional to the Japanese New Year, or to hold takeaway lunches, or bento. A or , is a picnic set of ''jūbako'' in a carrier with ...

'' (重箱), which resemble ''

bentō A is a Japanese cuisine, Japanese-style single-portion take-out or Packed lunch, home-packed meal, often for lunch, typically including rice and packaged in a box with a lid (often a segmented box with different parts of the meal placed in diff ...

'' boxes. Like ''bentō'' boxes, ''jūbako'' are often kept stacked before and after use. However not all parts of Japan, such as

Suzu Suzu may refer to: * Suzu (bell), small Japanese bells used in Shinto * Suzu, Ishikawa, city in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan * Sabzuyeh, Neyriz, also known as Sūzū, a village in Neyriz County, Fars Province, Iran Temple names Suzu () was a Chines ...

in Ishikawa, practice the custom of eating ''osechi''. Osechi is a food eaten to wish the family good health for the year, and the various dishes that make up osechi have their own roles to bring good luck in terms of longevity, prosperity of descendants, bountiful harvest, success in life, and financial success. Originally, osechi was rice served high in a bowl to celebrate the five annual ceremonies (''

gosekku The ''Gosekku'' (五節句), also known as ''sekku'' (節句), are the five annual ceremonies that were traditionally held at the Japanese imperial court. The origins were Japanese practices merged with Chinese practices and celebrated in Japan ...

'') from the

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States government within the executive branch, charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It is also task ...

(610-794) to

Kamakura period The is a period of History of Japan, Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the G ...

s (1185-1333). Osechi is influenced by the ritual of '' naorai'' (also known as ''kyōshoku''), in which a person who prays eats with the

Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...

kami are the Deity, deities, Divinity, divinities, Spirit (supernatural entity), spirits, mythological, spiritual, or natural phenomena that are venerated in the traditional Shinto religion of Japan. ''Kami'' can be elements of the landscape, forc ...

''. The old custom of offering osechi to the ''

toshigami , also known as , is a Japanese kami and a part of the Shinto pantheon. Etymology The 年 (nen) kanji originally meant "harvest", which became "year" over time as harvest happened once each year. ''Toshigami'' was therefore the god of abundant ...

'' (Shinto deity) on the ''

kamidana are miniature household altars provided to enshrine a Shinto . They are most commonly found in Japan, the home of worship. The is typically placed high on a wall and contains a wide variety of items related to Shinto-style ceremonies, the mos ...

'' (household Shinto altar) before eating it with the family is a remnant of this ceremony. Osechi changed greatly under the influence of '' honzen-ryōri'', a banquet dish that was ritualized in ''

daimyo were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and nominally to ...

'' (feudal lords) and the

samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...

society during the

Muromachi period The , also known as the , is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate ( or ), which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi ...

(1336-1573). Many of the standard dishes that make up osechi today are derived from honzen-ryōri. During the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

(1603-1868), osechi came to refer only to New Year's dishes. With the economic development of Japanese society, the custom of osechi spread to the general public, the ''

chōnin was a social class that emerged in Japan during the early years of the Tokugawa period. In the social hierarchy, it was considered subordinate to the samurai warrior class. Social class The ''chōnin'' emerged in ''joka-machi'' or castle t ...

'' class, and a new custom began. From the late Edo period, some of the dishes in osechi began to be packed in ''jūbako'', and from the

Meiji era The was an Japanese era name, era of History of Japan, Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feu ...

(1868-1912) to the Showa era (1912-1989), the variety of dishes packed in ''jūbako'' increased, becoming a luxurious dish sold in

department store A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store under one roof, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store mad ...

Examples of osechi dishes

The dishes that make up ''osechi'' each have a special meaning celebrating the New Year. Some examples are: *''

Daidai The daidai (; ; ; ''Citrus'' × ''daidai'') is a variety of bitter orange native to Asian regions. The daidai originated in the Himalayas. It spread to the Yangtze valley region and later to Japan. The colour of the fruit loses its yellowish hue ...

'' (橙, だいだい), Japanese bitter orange. ''Daidai'' means "from generation to generation" when written in different

kanji are logographic Chinese characters, adapted from Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script, used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese and are ...

as 代々. Like ''kazunoko'' below, it symbolizes a wish for children in the New Year. *' (伊達巻 or 伊達巻き or だてまき), sweet rolled omelette mixed with fish paste or mashed shrimp. They symbolize a wish for many auspicious days. On auspicious days (晴れの日, ''hare-no-hi''), Japanese people traditionally wear fine clothing as a part of enjoying themselves. One of the meanings associated with the second kanji includes "fashionability", derived from the illustrious dress of the

from

Date Date or dates may refer to: * Date, the fruit of the date palm (''Phoenix dactylifera'') * Jujube, also known as red date or Chinese date, the fruit of ''Ziziphus jujuba'' Social activity *Dating, a form of courtship involving social activi ...

Han. *''

Kamaboko is a type of Curing (chemistry), cured , a processed seafood product common in Japanese cuisine. It was initially made in the year 1115. Production and uses is made by forming various Purée, pureed deboned whitefish (fisheries term), whit ...

'' (蒲鉾, かまぼこ), broiled fish cake. Traditionally, slices of red and white ''kamaboko'' are alternated in rows or arranged in a pattern. The color and shape are reminiscent of Japan rising sun, and have a celebratory, festive meaning. *''

Kazunoko , in Japanese cuisine, are the eggs or the ovary, ovaries (egg skeins) of the Pacific herring (Japanese: ) that have been Salting (food), salted or dried. Overview ''Kazunoko'' is a product processed by removing the roe sacs (or "egg skeins ...

'' (数の子, かずのこ),

herring Herring are various species of forage fish, belonging to the Order (biology), order Clupeiformes. Herring often move in large Shoaling and schooling, schools around fishing banks and near the coast, found particularly in shallow, temperate wate ...

roe Roe, ( ) or hard roe, is the fully ripe internal egg masses in the ovaries, or the released external egg masses, of fish and certain marine animals such as shrimp, scallop, sea urchins and squid. As a seafood, roe is used both as a cooking, c ...

. ''Kazu'' means "number" and ''ko'' means "child". It symbolizes a wish to be gifted with numerous children in the New Year. *''

Konbu ''Konbu'' (from ) is edible kelp mostly from the family Laminariaceae and is widely eaten in East Asia. It may also be referred to as ''dasima'' () or ''haidai'' (). Kelp features in the diets of many civilizations, including Chinese and Icela ...

'' (昆布), a kind of

seaweed Seaweed, or macroalgae, refers to thousands of species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. The term includes some types of ''Rhodophyta'' (red), '' Phaeophyta'' (brown) and ''Chlorophyta'' (green) macroalgae. Seaweed species such as ...

. It is considered to sound like the word ''yorokobu'', meaning "joy". *' (黒豆, くろまめ), black soybeans. ''Mame'' also means "health", symbolizing a wish for health in the New Year. *, literally "red-white vegetable

kuai Kuai may refer to: *Kuai (dish) ( zh, 膾, kuài, link=no), a Chinese food dish *Kuai ( zh, 塊, kuài, link=no), a colloquial term for the Chinese yuan (currency unit) * KuAI, Kuibyshev Aviation Institute in Russia * KUAI, a Radio station in the ...

", is made of

daikon Daikon 大根 (だいこん) or mooli, (مولی) ''Raphanus sativus'' var. ''longipinnatus,'' is a mild-flavored winter radish usually characterized by fast-growing leaves and a long, white, root. Originally native to continental East Asia ...

and carrot cut into thin strips and pickled in sweetened vinegar with

yuzu Yuzu (''Citrus'' × ''junos'', from Japanese language, Japanese or ; ) is a citrus fruit and plant in the family Rutaceae of China, Chinese origin. Yuzu has been cultivated mainly in East Asia, though it has also recently been grown in New Z ...

flavor. *''Tai'' (鯛, たい), red sea-bream. ''Tai'' is associated with the Japanese word ''medetai'', meaning auspicious, as to welcome auspicious events for the new year. *' (田作り), dried

sardines Sardine and pilchard are common names for various species of small, oily forage fish in the herring suborder Clupeoidei. The term "sardine" was first used in English during the early 15th century; a somewhat dubious etymology says it come ...

cooked in

soy sauce Soy sauce (sometimes called soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of China, Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermentation (food), fermented paste of soybeans, roasted cereal, grain, brine, and ''Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''A ...

. The literal meaning of the kanji in ''tazukuri'' is "rice paddy maker", as the fish were used historically to fertilize rice fields. The symbolism is of an abundant harvest next year. *, a soup of

mochi A mochi ( ; Japanese ) is a Japanese rice cake made of , a short-grain Japonica rice, japonica glutinous rice, and sometimes other ingredients such as water, sugar, and cornstarch. The steamed rice is pounded into paste and molded into the ...

rice cakes in clear broth (in eastern Japan) or

miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning. It is a thick paste produced by fermenting soybeans with salt and kōji (the fungus ''Aspergillus oryzae''), and sometimes rice, barley, seaweed, or other ingredients. It is used for sauces and spreads; p ...

broth (in western Japan). *''Ebi'' (海老, えび), skewered

prawn Prawn is a common name for small aquatic crustaceans with an exoskeleton An exoskeleton () . is a skeleton that is on the exterior of an animal in the form of hardened integument, which both supports the body's shape and protects the intern ...

s cooked with

sake Sake, , or saki, also referred to as Japanese rice wine, is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and indeed any East Asi ...

and

. It symbolizes a wish for a long-life, suggesting long beard and bent waist. *''Nishiki tamago'' (錦卵/二色玉子), egg roulade; the egg is separated before cooking, yellow symbolizing gold, and white symbolizing silver, both of these together symbolising wealth and good fortune. *''Zenzai'' is a hot dessert soup made of sweet red beans and often served with toasted rice cakes (mochi) or smaller shiratama dango (mini rice cakes). It is similar to ''

shiruko , or with the honorific , is a traditional Japanese dessert. It is a sweet porridge of azuki beans boiled and crushed, served in a bowl with . There are different styles of , such as with candied chestnuts, or with glutinous rice flour dumpl ...

''.

History

The term ''osechi'' is derived from the term ''o-setchiku'' (御節供), which originally referred to annual imperial court events and the food served at these events.

New Year's Day In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Day is the first day of the calendar year, January 1, 1 January. Most solar calendars, such as the Gregorian and Julian calendars, begin the year regularly at or near the December solstice, northern winter ...

was one of the five annual ceremonies (''

'') in the

Imperial Court in Kyoto The Imperial Court in Kyoto was the nominal ruling government of Japan from 794 AD until the Meiji period (1868–1912), after which the court was moved from Kyoto (formerly Heian-kyō) to Tokyo (formerly Edo) and integrated into the Meiji go ...

. This custom of celebrating particular days was introduced from

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

into Japan. The osechi of the

(710–794) and

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...

s (794–1185) were quite different from those of today. Osechi of those periods consisted of rice served high in bowls that the

emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

served to court officials on the five annual ceremonies of the year. The officials would ceremonially eat a small portion of the rice at court and then take it home to eat with their families. Osechi is believed to have been influenced by the Shinto ritual of '' naorai'' (''kyōshoku''). ''Naorai'' is a ritual of eating with the ''kami'' in order to offer prayers to them. Examples of this ritual are the emperor's enthronement ceremony, '' Daijōsai'', and the old custom of eating osechi after offering it to the altar of the ''

'' (household Shinto altar). Even after the

class came to power in the

Kamakura period The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle betw ...

(1185-1333), osechi consisted of rice served high in bowls. Osechi changed greatly under the influence of '' honzen-ryōri'', a banquet dish that was ritualized in ''

'' (feudal lords) and the

society during the

(1336-1573). Many of the standard dishes that make up osechi today are derived from ''honzen-ryōri''. The three main foods known as ''iwaizakana'' (festive side dishes), such as '' kuromame'' (sugar-boiled black soybeans), '' tazukuri'' (dried

Japanese anchovy The Japanese anchovy (''Engraulis japonicus'') is a schooling fish of the family Engraulidae. It is common in the Pacific Ocean south from the Sea of Okhotsk, widespread in the Sea of Japan, Yellow Sea, and East China Sea, and near the coasts of ...

), and '' tataki gobo'' (

burdock ''Arctium'' is a genus of biennial plants commonly known as burdock, family Asteraceae. Native to Europe and Asia, several species have been widely introduced worldwide. Burdock's clinging properties, in addition to providing an excellent mecha ...

boiled in vinegar and soy sauce), which are essential to today's osechi, were originally served as snacks with sake in ''honzen-ryōri''. ''

'', '' datamaki'', and '' kuri kinton'' (chestnuts ''

wagashi is traditional Japanese confectionery, typically made using plant-based ingredients and with an emphasis on seasonality. ''Wagashi'' generally makes use of cooking methods that pre-date Western influence in Japan. It is often served with green ...

''), the staples of modern osechi, were also originally ''honzen-ryōri'', and guests would take them home to eat after the banquet. During this period,

carp The term carp (: carp) is a generic common name for numerous species of freshwater fish from the family (biology), family Cyprinidae, a very large clade of ray-finned fish mostly native to Eurasia. While carp are prized game fish, quarries and a ...

was the most common fish dish for osechi. During the

(1603-1868), the term "osechi" came to refer only to New Year's foods. During this period, Japan experienced dramatic economic development and merchants became wealthy, and osechi became part of the culture of the ''

'' (townspeople) class from the

Genroku era was a after Jōkyō and before Hōei. The Genroku period spanned the years from September 1688 to March 1704. The reigning emperor was .Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ''Annales des empereurs du japon'', p. 415. The period was known for its peace and ...

(1688-1704) onward, and ''honzen-ryōri'' became popular among the general public. Osechi came to include a variety of dishes seasoned mainly with salt. ''

Pagrus major ''Pagrus major'', the red seabream, red pargo, red porgy or silver seabream, is a species of marine ray-finned fish in the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. This species is found in the Western Pacific Ocean. The fish ha ...

'' replaced carp as the most common fish dish. ''

Zōni , often with the honorific "o-" as ''o-zōni'', is a Japanese soup containing ''mochi'' rice cakes. The dish is strongly associated with the Japanese New Year and its tradition of ''osechi'' ceremonial foods. The preparation of zōni varies b ...

'' appeared in the Muromachi period (1336-1573) as a snack at wedding banquets of the upper samurai class and became a New Year's dish for the common people during this period. During this period, osechi consisted of two main components: ''honzen-ryōri'' (a main dish consisting of rice, fish, and ''

nimono is a simmered dish in Japanese cuisine. A nimono generally consists of a base ingredient simmered in ''shiru'' stock and seasoned with sake, soy sauce, and a small amount of sweetening. The nimono is simmered in the shiru over a period of time ...

'' simmered dish) and , ''kuitsumi'' a New Year's decoration. The ''kuitsumi'' consisted of rice placed on three sides of a white wooden stand decorated with ''

'',

abalone Abalone ( or ; via Spanish , from Rumsen language, Rumsen ''aulón'') is a common name for any small to very large marine life, marine gastropod mollusc in the family (biology), family Haliotidae, which once contained six genera but now cont ...

, ''

kombu ''Konbu'' (from ) is edible kelp mostly from the family Laminariaceae and is widely eaten in East Asia. It may also be referred to as ''dasima'' () or ''haidai'' (). Kelp features in the diets of many civilizations, including Chinese and Icela ...

'',

chestnuts The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Description C ...

persimmons The persimmon () is the edible fruit of a number of species of trees in the genus ''Diospyros''. The most widely cultivated of these is the Chinese and Japanese kaki persimmon, ''Diospyros kaki''. In 2022, China produced 77% of the world's pe ...

Japanese spiny lobster The , ''Panulirus japonicus'', is a member of the genus '' Panulirus'' of spiny lobsters. It grows up to long and lives in the Pacific Ocean around Japan, Taiwan, China, and Korea. ''P. japonicus'' is the subject of commercial lobster fishery ...

mikan ''Citrus unshiu'' is a semi-seedless and easy-peeling citrus species, also known as the satsuma mandarin or Japanese mandarin. During the Edo period of Japan, kishu mikans were more popular because there was a popular superstition that eating '' ...

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...

, and

plum A plum is a fruit of some species in Prunus subg. Prunus, ''Prunus'' subg. ''Prunus'.'' Dried plums are often called prunes, though in the United States they may be labeled as 'dried plums', especially during the 21st century. Plums are ...

, etc. It was eaten on New Year's Day with guests who came to greet the New Year, or pretended to be eaten as a ceremonial ritual. In the late Edo period, osechi began to be placed in ''

'' (tiered boxes) like today's osechi. In the

Kanto region Japanese Kanto is a simplified spelling of , a Japanese word, only omitting the diacritics. In Japan Kantō may refer to: *Kantō Plain *Kantō region * Kantō-kai, organized crime group * Kanto (Pokémon), a geographical region in the ''Pokém ...

, ''kurmame'', ''

kazunoko , in Japanese cuisine, are the eggs or the ovary, ovaries (egg skeins) of the Pacific herring (Japanese: ) that have been Salting (food), salted or dried. Overview ''Kazunoko'' is a product processed by removing the roe sacs (or "egg skeins ...

'' (eggs of the

Pacific herring The Pacific herring (''Clupea pallasii'') is a species of the herring family associated with the Pacific Ocean environment of North America and northeast Asia. It is a silvery fish with unspined fins and a deeply forked caudal fin. The distribu ...

), and ''tazukuri'' were placed in stacked boxes, while in the

Kansai region The or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo and Shiga, often also Mie, sometimes Fukui, Tokushima and Tottori. The metropol ...

, ''kuromame'', ''tazukuri'', and ''tataki gobo'' were the three main ingredients of osechi. During the

(1868-1912), various dishes that were originally ''honzen-ryōri'', such as ''kamaboko'', ''datamaki'', ''kuri kinton'' and ''nimono'', began to be placed in ''jūbako''. With the modernization of Japanese society, women's schools were established and osechi was taught as a dishs that housewives should master. The various regional styles of osechi that had existed until then were gradually standardized throughout the country. With Japan's rapid economic development after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, osechi became more luxurious and was sold in

s, and some of the dishes began to incorporate ''

yōshoku In Japanese cuisine, refers to a style of Western-influenced cooking which originated during the Meiji Restoration. These are primarily Japanized forms of European dishes, often featuring Western names, and usually written in katakana. It is an ...

'' (Western-style foods).

References

*"Osechi ryōri". ''Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia''. Ed. Alan Campbell & David S. Noble. Tokyo:

Kōdansha is a Japanese privately held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha publishes manga magazines which include ''Nakayoshi'', ''Morning'', '' Afternoon'', ''Evening'', ''Weekly Young Magazine'', ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'', ...

, 1995. {{Authority control Japanese cuisine New Year in Japan Japanese cuisine terms Japanese New Year foods

Examples of osechi dishes

History

See also

References