New Year's is the most important holiday on the Japanese calendar. And as befitting such an important festival, the food traditionally served is lavish and elaborate. At the centerpiece of the New Year's feast, which traditionally went on for as long as seven days, is osechi ryōri, a colorful spread packed into multi-tiered lacquered boxes called jūbako.
The custom of serving a feast in layered boxes or on several decorated plates has been around for at least 1,000 years, but the current form of osechi ryōri was established in the late 19th century, during the Meiji Era. Each item that is included has symbolic meaning. The shiny black color of kuromame (stewed black soybeans) wards of evil humors and illness, and keeps the body healthy and hearty. Tazukuri (tiny baby sardines cooked until they are crunchy and sweet) symbolize hope for an abundant harvest. Kazunoko (salted and marinated herring roe) is a symbol of fertility, as is kobumaki (herring wrapped in konbu seaweed and stewed).