From Setsuko Yoshizuka,
Your Guide to Japanese Food.
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Japanese New Year's food is called osechi-ryori, and colorful osechi-ryori dishes are packed in layers of lacquer boxes, called jubako. Each dish and ingredient in osechi has meaning, such as good health, fertility, good harvest, happiness, long life, and so on. The kinds of osechi dishes eaten at Japanese homes vary from region to region.

It's a Japanese tradition to eat osechi-ryori throughout the New Year's holidays (until Jan. 3.) Traditionally, people finish cooking osechi dishes by New Year's Eve so that they have food for a couple days without cooking. Most of the dishes can last a couple days in the refrigerator or at cool room temperature. Nowadays, people buy ready-made osechi dishes at stores instead of cooking them at home. It can be time-consuming to cook so many kinds of dishes. You can even order a set of osechi-ryori at department stores, grocery stores, or convenience stores.

Osechi Dishes

Kobumaki - Kelp Rolls

Kuromame - Simmered Black Beans

Datemaki - Rolled Sweet Omelet

Kurikinton - Mashed Sweet Potato with Sweet Chestnuts)

Kinpira Gobo - Braised Burdock

Tazukuri - Candied Dried Sardines

Namasu - Pickled Daikon Radish and Carrot

Nimono - Simmered Dish
Nimono includes gobo (burdock root), satoimo (taro), renkon, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, and more.

Kazunoko (herring roe)

Ebi-no-saka-mushi - Sake Steamed Shrimp

Pink and White Kamaboko (fish cakes)

Tai-no-shio-yaki (grilled sea bream)