Akemashite omedetō. Happy New Year. I'm surrounded by moving boxes in my new creaky house, but I want to share Japan's amazing New Year food tradition—osechi ryōri.

It's a whole bunch of different dishes meticulously prepared in the days leading up to January 1st. Once finished, they're placed very artfully into jūbako—these gorgeous lacquered stackable boxes. Think of bento boxes, but much more elegant and only used for serving osechi.

Come with me as I explore these lucky New Year foods, what they symbolize, and how my father-in-law's kamaboko factory became part of our family's New Year traditions.

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Credits

Music by Julyan Ray Matsuura

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