Osechi Guide: Exploring Its Cultural Meaning and Varieties

Contents hide

1 What is Osechi?

2 The Meaning of Osechi Box

3 Types of Osechi Menu

3.1 Kuri Kinton (Chestnuts and sweet potato paste)

3.2 Date Maki

3.3 Kuromame (Black soybeans)

3.4 Kazunoko (Salted herring roe)

3.5 Kobu Maki

4 Don't Miss Our Osechi Products!

4.1 Recent Posts

4.2 Categories

4.3 Tags

Japanese Cuisine
Last ModifiedJanuary 22, 2025
new year, osechi

What is Osechi?

Osechi is a traditional Japanese meal served during the New Year to celebrate and welcome prosperity, health, and happiness. The practice dates back to the Heian period (794–1185) and reflects a deep cultural connection to seasonal festivities. Osechi dishes are carefully arranged in multi-tiered lacquer boxes called jubako, with each dish carrying a symbolic meaning tied to good fortune, longevity, or success.

Traditionally, Osechi is prepared in advance to allow families to avoid cooking during the first three days of the year, aligning with the Japanese custom of rest and rejuvenation at the start of the year.

Modern variations often incorporate regional specialties or fusion adaptations while maintaining the festive spirit. It remains a central part of Japan’s New Year celebrations, blending culinary artistry with cultural significance.

The Meaning of Osechi Box

Historically, three- or five-tiered stacked boxes are used for Osechi cuisine. It is called “Jyu-bako” in Japanese, and each tier has its own meaning. Each Osechi dish must be placed on a tier appropriate to its meaning.

Tier	Meaning	Menu of Osechi
1	Long life, prosperity of descendants, safety of family	Kazunoko(Salted herring roe), Kuromame(Black soybeans), Tatsukuri(Carmerized dried sardine) etc.
2	Academic achievement, pleasure, finance	Kobu Maki(Herring fish wrap), Kuri Kinton(Chestnuts with sweet potato paste), Date Maki(Fish & egg custard roll) etc.
3	Promotion, long life, happy marriage	Sashimi & Grilled fish(Tai, Shrimp, Bonito etc)
4	Good health, increasing of luck	Stewed vegetables(Lotus root, Taro, Bamboo shoots, Carrot etc)
5	Must be empty to receive blessings from God	-

Types of Osechi Menu

There are many types of Osechi menu and each of them has specific meaning.

Kuri Kinton (Chestnuts and sweet potato paste)

It is made of chestnuts and pasted sweet potato. The taste is like sweet and it has golden color. So it means raising money luck. Most popular menu in Osechi.

Date Maki

It is made of egg and pasted fish meat. The taste is sweet and the texture is soft like a cake.

The appearance looks scroll, which was used when people study, so that it is meant to bring academic success.

Kuromame (Black soybeans)

It has sweet flavor.

The word of “Mame” means fine, health so that it is eaten with the hope that their work and studies will go well.

Kazunoko (Salted herring roe)

It has crunchy texture and salty flavor.

Herring usually have 30,000-10,0000 eggs at once when they lay eggs so that it symbolizes the prosperity of descendants.

Kobu Maki

It has herring meat inside and it is wrapped with kelp.

Kelp (kobu) is valued as a good-luck because of the word “yorokobu” (meaning “pleasure”). Also it symbolizes long life as well.

Don't Miss Our Osechi Products!

We are Japanese food and sake distributor in BC and we are providing Osechi products in this season! Also, we have a bunch of Japanese food products so don’t forget to check our product page and feel free to contact us is you have any questions!