New Year's Traditions & "ToL" Original Recipe: Ozōni

5 min read

A Blend of Local & Japanese Traditions

New Year’s is a time to honor my heritage and reflect on the beautiful blend of local and Japanese customs that shape my identity. Growing up Japanese-American in Hawai‘i, I experienced unique and memorable traditions that remain important to me today.

Cherished Family Traditions

One of the most memorable parts of New Year’s was watching my late paternal grandmother prepare a feast for our family. She cooked tirelessly on New Year’s Eve and Day to create a spread of traditional Japanese foods that brought blessings and prosperity for the new year.

On New Year's Eve, Grams would make saimin, a local noodle soup derived from Japanese and Chinese culinary influences. The saimin noodles symbolize long life, and toppings included wom bok (Chinese cabbage), cha siu (Chinese pork), kamaboko (Japanese fish cake), bean sprouts, and green onions. The broth was made with shoyu (soy sauce), pork belly, and konbu (edible kelp).

Another staple was soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles), which everyone had to eat for good luck and long life. No soba was to go to waste either, or that would bring bad luck. Soba is my favorite, and I eagerly ate bowlfuls of it! Grams also prepared other traditional Japanese dishes, such as:

Kazunoko (herring roe): Represents fertility and prosperity.
Ebi (shrimp): Symbolizes longevity and graceful aging.
Nishime (simmered stew with chicken and vegetables): Promotes family harmony.

We also enjoyed mochi (rice cakes) and manju (dense buns), often filled with anko (sweetened red bean paste) or dusted with kinako (roasted soybean powder and sugar). One of my paternal aunts made these every year.

Symbolism of New Year Foods

Just after midnight, my grandmother would prepare ozōni, the iconic Japanese mochi soup eaten on New Year’s Day. The mochi symbolizes strength and longevity. Grams was strict about finishing the mochi in our bowls—leaving any uneaten mochi was considered bad luck for the year. In eastern Japan, the soup is typically clear and dashi-based; in the west, it’s made with shoyu. Our family’s version is made with a shoyu-based broth.

With our ozōni, we enjoyed kuromame (sweet black soybeans), symbolizing hard work and health.

Preparations for the New Year

Before the New Year, my grandma practiced ōsōji (The Big Cleaning). This tradition welcomed the New Year with a fresh start and involved thoroughly cleaning the house to remove misfortunes and impurities from the past year. Grams’ cleaning habits were esteemed; I inherited this trait from her. I make it a point to clean my home, wash my car, and tidy my workspace.

Another tradition was displaying kadomatsu (bamboo and pine arrangements) at doorways to invite prosperity and divine spirits. Inside, we displayed kagami mochi, two stacked rice cakes topped with a daidai (orange), symbolizing wealth and generational continuity. My dad eventually extended this practice by placing kagami mochi in our vehicles.

According to Japanese culture, decorations must go up on specific dates to avoid bad luck (GPlusMedia, Inc., 2020).

For example:

Avoid 29 December, as the number nine sounds like “suffer” in Japanese.
Decorations on 31 December are considered last-minute and bring bad luck.
Thus, the ideal day for decorating is 28 December.
Decorations are taken down on 7 January, as the New Year gods depart.

Fireworks in Hawai‘i

Popping fireworks at home in Hawai'i is essential for New Year’s Eve. It is believed they ward off evil spirits and bring good luck. I have fond memories of my family lighting firecrackers as the countdown to midnight began. Everyone was so excited. Sadly, O‘ahu banned fireworks around 2009 and required permits. Several years later, my sister resurrected the tradition by purchasing these permits so we could light fireworks again.

Vegan Ozōni Recipe

Ozōni is more than just a soup. It’s a heartfelt dish that connects my family to our heritage and symbolizes strength and longevity for the year ahead. Inspired by my family’s recipe, here's a vegan-friendly version.

Yields: 10-15 servings

· 2 organic carrots, bâtonnet cut (thin slices/strips: ½”× ½” × 2½-3″)

· 2 organic takenoko (bamboo shoots), bâtonnet cut

· 1 organic gobo (burdock root), bâtonnet cut

· Organic black pepper, to taste

· 1 bunch of organic shingiku (chrysanthemum leaves) or mizuna (Japanese mustard greens), chopped

· 1 bag of mochi

· 1 bag of soba noodles, optional, but recommended for extra good luck for the new year

· Note** The traditional ozōni I grew up eating includes chicken and pork. One pound of each meat will suffice, cut into bite-size pieces.

Ōzoni dashi (soup):

· 80 ounces organic vegetable broth or water (or chicken broth- original recipe)

· Hot purified water

· 1 bag of dried shiitake mushrooms soaked in hot water for 10-15 minutes

· Shiitake mushroom water

· Shoyu (Yamasa brand is preferred), to taste (for those on a gluten-free diet, use gluten-free shoyu or tamari as an alternative)

· Note** To make the traditional ozōni I grew up eating, cook the chicken and pork before adding vegetables to the pot, and use chicken broth for the dashi (soup) base.

Kitchen Equipment

· Mixing bowls/cups/spoons for mise en place ("everything in its place") ingredients

· Measuring cups/spoons

· Cutting board

· Chef knife

· Vegetable peeler

· Colander

· Medium-sized sauce pot

· Large pot

· Ladle

· Tongs

· Serving bowls

· Chopsticks

· Soup spoons

Cooking Instructions

Sanitize the kitchen (sink, faucets, countertops, stovetop/oven, cupboard handles, smart devices, computer, etc.).
Soak dried shiitake mushrooms for 10-15 minutes or longer. Keep the water to add to the dashi.
Wash and peel the carrots and gobo.
Cut carrots, gobo, and bamboo shoots into thin slices (bâtonnet cut)
After soaking the shiitake mushrooms, remove the mushrooms. Squeeze the liquid from the mushrooms.
Set liquid aside.
Add water to a medium-sized sauce pot and boil.
Add soba and cook until al dente.
Mise en place ingredients.
Add vegetable stock, shoyu, and mushroom-soaked water to a large pot.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Season to taste with pepper and more shoyu if needed.
Add carrots, bamboo shoots, gobo, and shiitake mushrooms to the dashi.
Bring to a boil once again.
Reduce to a simmer for one hour or until the vegetables are cooked
In a separate pot, boil water and add a ladle or two of the ozōni dashi.
Add mochi to the boiling liquid and cook until soft.
Transfer mochi to serving bowls and pour in dashi.
Add cooked soba and garnish with shingiku.

Have a terrific and safe New Year celebration!

Cheers!

Gini x

29 December 2024

References

GPlusMedia, Inc. (2020). New year decorations in Japanese homes. https://resources.realestate.co.jp/living/new-year-decorations-in-japanese-homes/