It is January the 2nd today, so a lot of the Japanese people eat Osechi-ryori at home or at their relative's home. Osechi-ryori are special dishes for the New Year holidays. They prepare a variety of ingredients such as fish, black beans, rolled kelp, and vegetables in lacquer boxes. It's a kind of traditional dish and each family has its own style. These days department stores of food section and nearby supermarkets sell beautifully arranged osechi-ryori . Osechi-ryori made by ordinary Japanese families do not look so beautiful, but it tastes "Ofukuro no aji", which means real homemade taste by Mother.
The left piecture is Osechi-ryori I ate at my relatives's home. The ingredients are tofu, bumboo shoots and kippered herring, carrots and taro, shiitake mushrooms.
In Japan, New Year's is the most important holiday, and it is celebrated for the first three to seven days of the new year. Most people spend a holiday at this time. On the first three days of the new year, the whole family gathers to wish one another good health by drinking special sake "toso". According to tradition, drinking it on New Year's day is thought to prevent illness.
