NEW YEAR’S FEAST

Kobumaki (konbu seaweed wrapped in bundles around dried herring) signify a wish for long life, as well as many children. Red and white namasu, or shredded radish and carrots in a vinegar sauce, are supposed to look like the colorful and auspicious paper cords called mizuhiki that are wrapped around gifts and stand for peace and prosperity. Onishime is an assortment of vegetables stewed together so the family will stay together. Last but not least, whole shrimp simmered with their heads intact were added as their long whiskers symbolize a wish for longevity.
If this sounds like an awful lot of food to prepare, it certainly is. And it seems that in the late Edo Period, as well as in the following Meiji Period (1868 to 1912), a full-on osechi meal was something that was made by professionals and ordered in, making it the domain of the well-to-do. It wasn’t until the economic boom of the late 1950s through the ’70s that making a full osechi array at home became a thing to do. The cooking and women’s magazines of the time came out with detailed schedules of how a housewife should plan her week leading up to New Year’s Day so that everything would be prepared on time and remain safe and tasty to eat during the feast period. It was a lot of work, but since most women did not work outside the house at that time, this task fell to them. In the 1980s, as more women began working outside the home, department stores started to offer fully made and assembled osechi sets. Their popularity has grown over the years and they are now available from many sources, including online, meaning that hardly anyone these days makes all their osechi ryōri anymore. In a sense, things have come full circle since late Edo.

Another thing that has changed is the content of the modern osechi ryōri set. While the traditional symbolic items are still there, a variety of European-style hors d’oeuvres and delicacies have made their way in, such as sliced roast beef, smoked salmon, marinades and so on, as well as Japanese foods that require refrigeration, such as grilled fish and sashimi. This reflects the fact that many traditional osechi items are very sweet, salty or sour, clashing with current tastes. There’s also the fact that there’s no need for foods to last for several days without refrigeration anymore, and that many stores these days now opt to operate on New Year’s Day. Popular non-osechi New Year’s foods these days include sushi, grilled beef and other crowd-pleasing items. A more recent development is one-item osechi ryōri offered by some convenience stores. This allows even single people to get a quick taste of osechi — as well as the good luck — without having to order an elaborate full-blown set. But there is nothing like the sensory impact of a complete, colorful osechi ryōri presentation, so one hopes the tradition will survive in one form or another for a long time to come, even as the contents evolve with the times.