Release of 2nd 2024 Special Design Limited Edition Soy Sauce Dispenser in Europe
- An Osechi-Ryōri Design to Welcome in the New Year -

Beginning in 2020, Kikkoman Trading Europe GmbH (KTE), the Kikkoman Group’s sales and marketing company in Europe, has annually debuted a special limited edition soy sauce dispenser featuring unique motifs that celebrate various aspects of Japanese culture for certain regions of Europe. A special limited edition soy sauce dispenser adorned with a design inspired by the Japanese New Year tradition of “osechi-ryōri”, is available from November to December 2024. This special limited edition dispenser release is the second in 2024, and the sixth ever.

“Shōgatsu”, the Japanese New Year, is a widely cherished and prominent family celebration. As a long-held custom, families come together to eat “osechi-ryōri” over the first three days of the New Year, a period called “sanganichi”.
Osechi-ryōri consists of a variety of small dishes, each with its own symbolic significance for the New Year. For example, with their curved backs, shrimp simmered in dashi and soy sauce represent the wish for a “long life”. Similarly, kuri kinton, bright yellow candied chestnuts in sweet potato mash, is reminiscent of gold and expresses the wish for “wealth” in the New Year. These lucky tidbits are packed into “jūbako boxes”. These stackable lacquer boxes come in two and three-layers and are also symbolic of good wishes, because “stacking boxes” is synonymous with “adding happiness”.
The centuries-old customs and traditions of “osechi-ryōri” are an integral part of Japanese culture, passed down through generations.

In hopes of a wonderful 2025, the new special limited edition soy sauce dispenser is adorned with a jūbako box filled with osechi-ryōri. With a history spanning more than 300 years, Kikkoman Soy Sauce is inextricably linked to Japanese tradition and food culture. Over time, it has come to add deliciousness to European festive dishes as well.