Vol. 31 No. 4 January 2018 Kikkoman’s quarterly intercultural forum for the exchange of ideas on food 4 THE JAPANESE TABLE CLOSE-UP JAPAN: Contemporary Osechi Ryori — Annual Events 5 JAPANESE STYLE: and Traditions Tai Sea Bream TASTY TRAVEL: Winter: From Harvest Fukushima Kozuyu — to New Year 6 by Yoichiro Nakamura MORE ABOUT JAPANESE COOKING: Cod Yuki-mi Nabe “Snow-Viewing” Hot Pot with Cod Our series featuring the traditional celebratory foods Katsuo no Tatsuta Age associated with Japan’s old lunar calendar concludes Deep-Fried Bonito with this fi nal installment, where we follow harvest- — related events, Shichi-Go-San rites of passage, the winter solstice and fi nally, the anticipation of 8 another New Year. KIKKOMAN TODAY: KFE Celebrates 20 Years in the Netherlands Annual Events and Traditions Winter: From Harvest to New Year From left: Gohei-mochi; sekihan Harvest Festivals onjiki, or “one hundred foods,” and festoons of tree branches are Annual events and traditions in are presented. Similar offerings traditionally sold at festivals Japan are linked to the ancient are made at other shrines held during the tenth or first cycle of growing rice. As autumn throughout Japan. lunar month. These are hung approaches, the rice blossoms, its The tenth month of the lunar with auspicious decorations that ears laden with tiny white calendar marks the beginning of symbolize prosperity and fl owers—and it is just at this time winter. The custom observed on happiness, such as oval-shaped that the Japanese archipelago the “Day of the Boar” of this gold coins and tai. This is also faces typhoon season. Hoping to month is to prepare botamochi the season for freshly harvested appease the wrath of the wind rice ball sweets of steamed non- daikon. The vegetable is an gods, a special hand-twisted rice glutinous and glutinous rice that essential ingredient in many straw shimenawa rope was often are coated with a layer of family meals, appearing in hung at village entrances to fend auspicious adzuki bean paste. simmered dishes and vinegar off destructive winds. These are placed in a lacquered salads, and as pickles. During Once rice has been box and shared among neighbors, this season, rituals are held for successfully harvested, a custom that reaffirms purification against ill-fortune thanksgiving rituals are held. community bonds. and to express thanks for the Sheaves of freshly harvested rice harvest. At shrines, worshippers are offered, and other bounty is Ebisu Festival prepared for rites honoring local The twentieth day of the tenth guardian deities. To this day, the lunar month celebrates Ebisu, emperor himself makes offerings deity of good fortune, whose of newly harvested rice to the image is traditionally placed on a gods, partaking of new rice while shelf in a corner within the praying on behalf of his people. home. Ebisu is considered the This palace ritual is the patron of fishing and bountiful Niinamesai, celebrated nowadays harvests, but in urban areas, the as Labor Thanksgiving Day on god assures prosperity in November 23. At well-known business. Special offerings might shrines with long histories, include grilled tai sea bream and offerings presented to the gods vegetables, including daikon during harvest festivals take the radish. As the family gathers to form of foods as they have been share the celebration, sometimes prepared traditionally. For lots are drawn to choose which example, at Tanzan-Jinja Shrine offerings each person receives. in Nara Prefecture, copious Shrines dedicated to Ebisu are Tree branch decorated with an imitation gold coin offerings called hyakumi no found throughout the country, and other decorations 2 From left: Chitose-ame in a colorful bag; foods piled high on bowls are presented as hyakumi no onjiki offerings at Tanzan-Jinja Shrine. are sprinkled with water shaken syrup, given in place of mother’s yuzu are placed in the bath, to from bunches of broadleaf milk, saved the lives of orphaned ward off disease. Even as the old bamboo dipped in a cauldron of infants, thus earning its year winds down, preparations hot water, in a purification reputation as being essential to for the New Year begin. The Izu ceremony called yudate. In children’s health and well-being. peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture mountainous parts of central Another tradition observed late is renowned for its bonito, and at Japan, yudate involves rhythmic in the year honors tools that this time the fi sh are cleaned, dances dedicated to the gods. have become worn out during salted and hung in the wind to A traditional food prepared for the year. One such example is make salted bonito for use as these rituals is gohei-mochi, hari-kuyo, a ritual honoring offerings. This careful planning skewered cakes of pounded rice hard-working sewing needles of foods for the New Year takes basted with miso and grilled. that have become broken or place in other parts of the damaged. The spirits of needles country as well, and some Shichi-Go-San used for stitching fabrics are regions associate salmon or November 15 is set aside for “appeased” on this day by yellowtail with this special time. celebrating the healthy growth of passing them through soft tofu As the year and its traditional children who have reached the or pliable konnyaku konjac. observances come to a conclusion, ages of seven (shichi), five (go) Another winter tradition, we look forward with anticipation and three (san). The children are celebrated mostly in Kyoto, is as the cycle begins once again dressed formally, often in daiko-daki, where temples dish with a New Year promising traditional Japanese attire, and out servings of daikon that has fortune and prosperity. presented at a nearby shrine been simmered in a large pot, to where prayers are made for their help people avoid catching cold. health and happiness. The young cover celebrants are presented with Winter Solstice Simmered kabocha squash and adzuki beans traditional stick candy called Toji is the winter solstice, the Author’s profile chitose-ame, “long-life candy,” day in the year when the sun’s Yoichiro Nakamura, Ph.D.; born in 1943. and served sekihan, made with presence in the sky ebbs to its A specialist in historical and folklore resources, Prof. Nakamura was formerly professor at glutinous rice steamed with lowest; it is also the day when Shizuoka Sangyo University (SSU), and is adzuki beans. This rice is served the power of the sun is “reborn,” currently guest researcher at the SSU Institute of on such special occasions and a time when notable Research and Development. His major works include: Iruka to nihonjin (“Dolphins and because of its auspicious red traditional events are held Japanese,” 2017); Myanmar: Ima, ichiban shiritai color. The chitose-ame is made around the world. In the Japanese kuni (“Myanmar: the country we’re most curious of a gelatinous barley syrup that home, toji is marked by making about,” 2013); Bancha to shomin kissashi is kneaded and hardened. It simmered kabocha squash and (“Bancha tea and the history of popular tea drinking,” 2015); and Washoku bunka booklet 2: carries specific significance, as adzuki beans, foods believed to nenchu gyoji to shikitari (“Washoku culture Japanese legends tell of how this prevent illness. Fragrant fresh booklet, no. 2: annual events and traditions,” 2016). FOOD FORUM January 2018 3 CLOSE-UP JAPAN Traditions and trends in Japanese food culture From left: Osechi ryori composed of Chinese dishes and of traditional Japanese cuisine Contemporary Osechi Ryori During the first three days of working couples and busy the New Year, Japanese enjoy schedules have upended the osechi ryori, an elaborate Osechi is an integral conventional osechi scene, array of preserved foods and the number of those presented in gorgeous, multi- component of preparing these special foods layered lacquered boxes. The Japanese New Year is gradually declining. origins of osechi ryori arose Fortunately, buying prepared from offerings made to honor osechi ryori is now acceptable. the gods during sekku, special Osechi ryori is sold in days which mark the changing energetically. Despite various forms and is available of the seasons throughout changing times, the ancient from single helpings to large the year. The most important custom of osechi ryori remains family-size quantities. of these is the welcoming of an integral and significant Healthier, preservative-free the New Year, and today’s component of Japanese New versions are offered as well, osechi ryori developed from Year traditions—albeit in including low-sodium and this custom. simpler, rather more user- gluten-free options. Osechi Osechi ryori includes only friendly versions. may be pre-ordered and auspicious foods, whether in In the past, osechi dishes purchased at department color, name or shape; for were prepared days in advance stores, convenience stores example, kazunoko (herring by the women of the and restaurants, or even roe marinated with soy sauce- household. Because these foods online. Not only is it based dashi) symbolizes the were intended to last through convenient to source osechi, blessings of fertility and the first few days of the New but consumers may select prosperity; the Japanese word Year, they were often from a surprising range of mame in kuromame preserved, pickled or salted, cuisines, from traditional (simmered black soybeans and were heavily seasoned. Japanese favorites to Chinese with sugar) suggests working Nowadays, refrigeration, or Western fusion. 4 JAPANESE STYLE Perspectives on Japanese cuisine Tai Sea Bream The sea bream or tai is a popular fi sh among Japanese. celebratory occasions. Tai imagery appears in the form Its white fl esh has a unique umami, and whether served of kamaboko steamed fi sh cakes at weddings, and as simmered, grilled or as sashimi, it has an ideal fi rmness.