Osechi and zoni for the New Year

The meaning behind the tiered boxes

Osechi is said to have originally been food offered to the gods at seasonal turning points, and today the word mainly refers to the celebratory dishes eaten at New Year. Packing them into tiered boxes (jubako) is said to carry the meaning of "stacking up good fortune," and there's often talk of a set order for what goes in the first, second, and later tiers — though in practice the arrangement varies a good deal by household and region. Some regions are said to use four or five tiers, with the fifth sometimes deliberately left empty as a "tier in reserve" for future good fortune.

Regional differences in zoni

Zoni, a soup with mochi eaten at New Year, is common across Japan, but the seasoning, ingredients, and even the shape of the mochi are said to differ a lot by region. Broadly speaking, eastern Japan tends toward square mochi in a clear soy-based broth, while western Japan tends toward round mochi in a white miso broth — though the line isn't neat, with variation even within a single prefecture and from household to household. Ingredients range from chicken and greens in some areas to sweet red-bean mochi in others. Whether the mochi is grilled before it goes in or simmered as-is is said to differ too, and the recipe can change even within a single prefecture depending on the area.

Nanakusa-gayu (seven-herb rice porridge)

On the morning of January 7th, there's a custom of eating a rice porridge with seven herbs, said to give the stomach a rest after the New Year's feasting. The base is typically seven wild herbs and greens — seri, nazuna, gogyo, and others — finely chopped in, though which ones are used can vary by region and household.

Related foods

If mochi and rice interest you, see "Rice"; for more foods tied to seasonal events, check the related tag.