Celebrate the New Year with a Decorative Bento Inspired by the Sunrise over Mt. Fuji!
Greet the New Year with a decorative bento (lunch box) featuring the first sunrise over Mt. Fuji!
Decorative Japanese New Year Motifs
Decoben (short for “decoration bento”) is an edible art packed in a bento with cute decorations and elaborate designs. Here, we focus on motifs related to the Japanese New Year.
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Mt. Fuji
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Mt. Fuji is a sacred mountain in Japan with breathtaking scenery. The word “Fuji” sounds similar to a Japanese word meaning “immortal,” which is why it is celebrated as an auspicious mountain.The first sunrise of the year seen from various locations is a topic of conversation every year.
Kadomatsu during the New Year
Placed at the front of homes during the New Year, kadomatsu serves as a beacon for the gods. These decorations, made from bamboo and pine, symbolize vitality and endurance - bamboo for its quick growth and pine for its evergreen quality.
Let's Decorate!
This decoben features rice mixed with black sesame seeds, topped with ingredients cut into Mt. Fuji and Kadomatsu.
Mt. Fuji
Use 1 thin omelet, 1 slice of carrot, and 1 piece of kamaboko (fish cake).
Cut the thin omelet in the shape of Mt.Fuji, carve the white part of the kamaboko to resemble the mountain's snowy peak, and place the carrot slice behind Mt. Fuji as the first sunrise of the year.
How to make a thin omelet:
Beat one egg thoroughly and season with a pinch of salt and sugar. Heat a pan with a thin coating of oil. Before the pan gets too hot, pour in the egg mixture, tilting the pan to spread it evenly and thinly.
Flip the egg once the edges crisp up. Once cooked on both sides, the omelet is done.
Kadomatsu
Use 3 green beans(boiled), 1 piece of kanikama (imitation crab stick), and ½ piece of aburaage (deep-fried tofu).
Cut each ingredient as shown in the photo.
Wrap the green beans in the aburaage, then decorate with small strips of kanikama and green beans.
Bento Fillings
Here, we introduce 3 recipes inspired by the New Year "Osechi Ryori" for your bento!
120 min+
246 kcal
800mg
- 20min
- 390 kcal
- 800mg
- 15min
- 59 kcal
- 600mg
Traditional Osechi Ryori
What is Osechi Ryori？
The Japanese eat a traditional meal called Osechi Ryori (the Japanese New Year’s feast) during the first three days in January. Nowadays, instead of cooking and preparing a full traditional osechi-jubako (multi-tiered box packed with Osechi Ryori), many opt to cook a few dishes and buy instead.
More About Japanese Food Culture
Do you want to future explore Japanese food culture? Kikkoman publishes a booklet called "Food Forum" four times yearly to introduce Japanese food culture, including an article about the contemporary Osechi Ryori. Please take a look!
- You can find the latest information here Food Forum
