Toshikoshi Soba: Celebrate New Year’s Eve with this Traditional Dish

To the average Japanese person, toshikoshi soba is more than a noodle dish; it represents a timeless tradition that dates as far back as the 13th century. Discover why this simple noodle soup is a key part of Japanese New Year celebrations and how you can make it at home. This is the ultimate New Year’s guide for toshikoshi soba. Enjoy!

What Is Toshikoshi Soba?

Toshikoshi soba is a traditional Japanese buckwheat noodle dish eaten on New Year’s Eve (December 31). It typically consists of soba noodles served in hot dashi broth or cold dipping sauce and topped with a light vegetable like scallion. However, toppings for the dish may include eggs, bok choy, mushrooms, tempura, and fish cake. 

The Japanese term “toshikoshi” refers to events that take place from New Year’s Eve (December 31, ōmisoka) to New Year’s Day (January 1, shōgatsu). Hence, the tradition of eating buckwheat noodles (soba) during that period is called toshikoshi soba. Some areas in Japan have alternative names for this tradition, such as kure soba, fuku soba, misoka soba, and tsugomori soba.

Everything about toshikoshi soba is full of meaning and symbolism, from the ingredients to the act of eating the noodles. The general belief in Japan is that eating soba is like breaking free of the past year’s hardships and embracing peace, good fortune, strength, and longevity.

The History and Cultural Significance of Toshikoshi Soba

Buckwheat soba noodles first appeared in Japan in the Jomon period (10,000 BC–300 BC), when it was brought in from China. However, the Japanese tradition of eating soba on the eve of the new year began in the 13th century, during the middle of the Kamakura period (1185–1333). It started when a Buddhist temple offered soba to the less privileged at the turn of the year. 

New Year’s Eve soba noodles fully became a Japanese tradition in the Edo period (1603-1868). It was around this time that the modern version of soba appeared. By then, people began to see this simple Japanese noodle dish as a symbol of stability, long life, and prosperity.

Eating toshikoshi soba has become a custom practiced by two-thirds of Japan’s population. To some, it's a religious ritual, and to others, it’s a practice that allows them to reap the symbolic rewards that come with the act.

Symbolism Behind Toshikoshi Soba: More Than Just Noodles

The noodles in the toshikoshi soba tradition are not mere food. They’re actually rooted in ancient Japanese symbolism. To fully illustrate the concept of the ritual, let’s explain the symbolic meanings associated with eating soba on New Year’s Eve.

1. Resilience: The buckwheat plant has the inherent strength to withstand harsh weather conditions. Hence, soba, a noodle made from buckwheat, symbolizes resilience and strength, even in the face of adversity.

2. Longevity: The long and thin shape of soba noodles represents longevity. As you enjoy each strand of noodles, you manifest a long and peaceful life.

3. Prosperity: In the past, goldsmiths would use buckwheat flour to gather gold dust residue. This practice is one of the reasons toshikoshi soba symbolizes prosperity and good fortune in the coming year.

4. Freedom: The brittle nature of dried soba noodles is the reason eating it on New Year’s eve is considered an act of breaking free of the hardships of the past year.

Regional Variations of Toshikoshi Soba Across Japan

Different regions in Japan prepare and enjoy toshikoshi soba with unique ingredients and toppings, leading to multiple variations of the dish. Here are some of the best ones:

1. Nishin soba: In Kyoto City and some parts of Hokkaido Prefecture, people eat toshikoshi soba topped with sweetened, dried herring.

2. Hegi soba: The city of Niigata has its own specialty soba, which heavily features seaweed. The noodles are typically served in large wooden vessels.

3. Echizen soba: Fukui City serves their toshikoshi soba topped with daikon radish.

4. Okinawa soba: In Okinawa, the locals prefer to use noodles made from regular wheat flour.

5. Kamaage soba: The soba noodles are boiled and served in the water used to boil them. It’s a common variation in Shimane Prefecture.

6. Sanuki udon: The people of Kagawa Prefecture prefer to use udon as their New Year noodle dish.

Traditional Ingredients in Toshikoshi Soba

Toshikoshi soba is a simple dish made up of three key elements: buckwheat noodles, dashi broth, and toppings. We’ll discuss each of the core ingredients as well as common toppings.

1. Buckwheat noodles: This is the type of noodles used in all kinds of soba dishes. Buckwheat noodles are made from 100% buckwheat flour or a mixture of buckwheat flour and wheat flour. Variations with high buckwheat flour content tend to be the most brittle, making them ideal for the symbolic purposes of toshikoshi soba.

2. Dashi: This is a savory cooking liquid (stock) that forms the basis of the cold or hot soup broth. In its typical form, dashi consists of kombu (edible kelp) and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes). However, other ingredients like shiitake mushrooms and baby sardines may be included in the dashi recipe. Dashi powder is a ready-made, instant version of the stock that’s often sold at grocery stores.

3. Tempura: You can think of tempura as more than a dish. It’s a Japanese cooking style that involves coating ingredients in batter and deep-frying them. The resulting taste of crispy tempura is determined by its base ingredients. Common tempura base ingredients used as toppings for toshikoshi soba are shrimp, fried tofu, eggs, and chicken.

4. Green onions: Also known as scallions, these vegetables have a milder taste than other types of onions. They grace soba dishes with their slightly sweet and grassy flavors.

5. Seaweed: The two main types of edible seaweed used as soba noodle topping are nori and wakame. They both come packed with umami flavors.

6. Kamaboko: This is a popular Japanese fish cake that’s often used in toshikoshi soba recipes. It’s typically made from flavored and pureed white fish but could also contain other types of fish. 

How to Make Toshikoshi Soba at Home: A Simple Recipe

The following is a step-by-step recipe for preparing authentic Toshikoshi Soba at home with accessible ingredients:

1. Put kombu in a saucepan, add water, and turn on the heat.

2. When the water begins to boil, add katsuobushi and allow the flakes to simmer for 30 seconds.

3. Let the katsuobushi steep for 8-10 minutes and then strain it. The leftover liquid is your dashi stock.

4. Add sake, salt, mirin, soy sauce, spices, and other seasonings to the stock.

5. Cook soba noodles in a pot of boiling water.

6. Drain the boiled noodles and rinse them in running water.

7. Transfer the noodles to a bowl.

8. Pour the seasoned dashi stock and add the toppings (tempura, wakame seaweed, fish cakes, etc.). Your toshikoshi soba dish is ready!

Modern Twists on Traditional Toshikoshi Soba

As the Japanese culinary scene continues to evolve, more people are coming up with creative variations and modern interpretations of toshikoshi soba.

There is a famous vegan option, which relies on only vegetables for topping and seasoning. Katsuobushi is excluded when making vegan dashi. Instead, it’s replaced with dried shiitake mushrooms and tofu.

Gluten-free toshikoshi soba is also possible if you use 100% buckwheat flour noodles and carefully select what types of seasoning and toppings to add to the dish.

Including ingredients that are generally considered foreign in Japan will help you create trendy fusion-style soba dishes. Examples of such ingredients are Sirloin beef steak, zucchini flowers, lima beans, cilantro, red onions, or grated cheese.

Toshikoshi Soba in Popular Culture and Media

The popularity of toshikoshi soba in Japan extends to mainstream media, as it has been portrayed in Japanese TV shows, movies, and anime. Most times, it plays a major role in cultural storytelling, offering a glimpse into life in Japan during the New Year celebrations.

Toshikoshi soba is a major focus of episode 10 of the first season of Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories, a Japanese anthology series on Netflix. The tradition of eating New Year’s Eve noodles is also a focal point at the start of an anime and manga series titled Today's Menu for the Emiya Family (Emiya-san Chi no Kyou no Gohan).

Welcoming the New Year with a Bowl of Tradition

It doesn't matter if you’re a Shinto believer, a Buddhist, or a Christian. Everyone deserves the chance to reflect on the past year with a bowl of toshikoshi soba, New Year’s Eve noodles. This is one of the many traditions that connect people through shared customs.

We believe that there is warmth and joy in celebrating traditions. That’s why we’re offering you the chance to get a Bokksu Snack Box Subscription, the most convenient way to explore Japanese culture through food. You get to enjoy a box of Japanese sweets, snacks, and other treats every month through the duration of your subscription. We are always including trendy, seasonal items, so subscribe now to secure the latest.