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Osechi: Japanese New Year Food Traditions (Ep. 184) artwork
Society & Culture

Osechi: Japanese New Year Food Traditions (Ep. 184)

Uncanny Japan - Folklore and Culture by SpectreVision Radio

Dec 9, 202526:23Society & Culture

What if the meal sitting in those beautiful lacquered boxes held messages from the gods? In Japan, osechi-ryōri isn't just New Year's food—it's a sacred offering. Each dish carries specific wishes: black beans for health...

About This Episode

Osechi: Japanese New Year Food Traditions (Ep. 184) is an episode from Uncanny Japan - Folklore and Culture by SpectreVision Radio. What if the meal sitting in those beautiful lacquered boxes held messages from the gods? In Japan, osechi-ry...

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Published Dec 9, 2025, 26:23 long, audio available.

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What is Osechi: Japanese New Year Food Traditions (Ep. 184) about?

What if the meal sitting in those beautiful lacquered boxes held messages from the gods? In Japan, osechi-ryōri isn't just New Year's food—it's a sacred offering. Each dish carries specific wishes: black beans for health, herring roe for prosperity, lotus root for clear vision into the future. Families prepare them before midnight, then rest for three days while Toshigami-sama, the deity of the coming year, visits every home. But why can't you use knives during the first three days? What happens to the kitchen god? And why do martial arts schools break open mirror-shaped mochi in January? Thersa shares her in-laws' traditions of food exchanges, the evolution from handmade to convenience store osechi, and the deeper spiritual layers beneath each symbolic dish. This episode of Uncanny Japan is brought to you by Spectrevision Radio, a podcast network of creators and entertainers with a love for horror, the paranormal, and championing the "other." Check out the rest of the podcasts at [Please Note: Some of the links are affiliate links (both Amazon and other). This means that at no cost to you, if you use and purchase through them I receive a small compensation. This is paid by the retailer. It also helps support me and my artistic endeavors. Thank you.] Follow Uncanny Japan Patreon Uncanny Japan Website Thersa Matsuura Website Books on Amazon YouTube Facebook Instagram Buy Me a Coffee (one-time contribution)

Where can I listen to Osechi: Japanese New Year Food Traditions (Ep. 184)?

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Which podcast is Osechi: Japanese New Year Food Traditions (Ep. 184) from?

Osechi: Japanese New Year Food Traditions (Ep. 184) is an episode from Uncanny Japan - Folklore and Culture by SpectreVision Radio.

How long is this episode?

This episode is 26:23 long.

When was this episode published?

This episode was published on Dec 9, 2025.

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Are there related episodes from Uncanny Japan - Folklore and Culture?

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Where can I listen to Osechi: Japanese New Year Food Traditions (Ep. 184)?

You can listen to Osechi: Japanese New Year Food Traditions (Ep. 184) on this page when the episode audio is available from the podcast feed.

Which podcast is this episode from?

Osechi: Japanese New Year Food Traditions (Ep. 184) is from Uncanny Japan - Folklore and Culture by SpectreVision Radio.

What are the episode details?

Published Dec 9, 2025 and 26:23 long