This year, New Years dinner with the family will be totally different…well at least the design on the top of the box. I saw this article done by miki800, a person I follow on tumblr.
おせち料理 – osechi ryouri – Japan’s traditional New Years feast; eaten by most people across the country – even foreigners.
Traditionally, osechi contained only vegetarian food items, owing to the kind hearted Buddhists, but over the years traditions have changed and now we have many non-traditional and regional osechi. (I have a friend who’s osechihas fried pork cutlets – very non-standard. That would be like eating hamburgers on Thanksgiving!) While many families still make their own New Years feast, some families buy their osechi ryouri from high end stores like Takashimaya or much cheaper fare from places like 7-11 or Hotto Motto.
The foods contained in the osechi are symbolic of the New Year; even the tiered bento-style box, お重箱 – ojyuuhako, is symbolic. What better way to teach the futures generations about the old ways than with a traditional item spiffed up for a new generation? (Please take note of the Mario wearing a hakama on the ojyuuhako.)
The best part of the whole package, at least for us gamers, will be the sixteen original cards that will be included with the purchase. The New Years dinner can be ordered from Takashimaya, an online and terrestrial store for buying Japanese goods. The box and cards will go on sale 9/30 for 27,000 yen. If you are in Japan and would like to eat like the Romans this New Years, head over to Takashimaya’s online store and reserve your box today!