[For Elementary School Kids] A New Year’s Quiz Everyone Can Enjoy! Learn surprising fun facts with multiple-choice questions

herring

Kazunoko is herring roe. The kazunoko used in osechi cuisine is considered an auspicious food that symbolizes wishes for fertility and family prosperity, making it an essential ingredient for the Japanese New Year. Because herrings lay a large number of eggs, their roe, kazunoko, is eaten with the hope of being blessed with many children. Its popping texture is also distinctive, and it has long been cherished as a traditional New Year’s dish in Japan.

A wish for layers of good fortune and auspiciousness to overlap

Stacking osechi dishes in layered jubako boxes carries the wish that good fortune and auspiciousness will come in many layers. In traditional Japanese culture, “layering” itself holds meaning, embodying the hope that a family’s happiness and prosperity will continue in multiple layers. For this reason, the practice has been passed down not only for visual beauty and preservation, but as a distinctly Japanese custom that values auspiciousness.

Rentarō Taki

The children’s song “Oshōgatsu” is a famous nursery rhyme that depicts traditional Japanese New Year scenes. It was composed by Rentarō Taki, a composer active from the Meiji to Taishō periods. Taki also created masterpieces such as “Kōjō no Tsuki” and “Hana,” and he had a significant impact on the history of Japanese music. “Oshōgatsu” is loved by people of all ages, from children to adults, and is often sung at schools and at home during the New Year season.

ink

Hanetsuki is one of Japan’s traditional New Year’s games. There has also long been a custom that, as a penalty for losing at hanetsuki, you paint the loser’s face with ink. Black is considered a color that demons dislike, and this practice arose with the meaning of warding off evil. Painting ink on the face creates laughter and lets people enjoy the uniquely relaxed atmosphere of the New Year. It’s a fun custom that has been loved by both children and adults since long ago.

Rice cake filled with sweet red bean paste

A distinctive feature of Kagawa Prefecture’s ozoni (New Year’s soup) is that it uses a white miso broth with mochi filled with sweet red bean paste. This unusual combination is famous as a unique part of Kagawa’s culture, and many residents eat ozoni in this style during the New Year. The gentle flavor of white miso pairs exquisitely with the sweetness of the red bean paste, which is why it has been loved for many years. Also, since ozoni varies by region in ingredients as well as the shape and seasoning of the mochi, it’s fun to compare the differences found across Japan.

financial luck

Kurikinton is one of the most popular dishes in osechi cuisine, and its vivid golden color evokes gold bars and treasure, making it a symbol of good fortune and increased wealth. Eating kurikinton at the start of the new year carries the hope that abundant prosperity will come to one’s household and oneself. Its bright hue also adds a festive touch to celebratory gatherings.

sanpō (a Japanese term meaning “three sides/directions”; also a traditional wooden offering stand used in Shinto/Buddhist rituals)

A sanpō is a stand used in traditional Japanese ceremonies and Shinto rituals, and during the New Year it is used to hold kagami mochi. It is a wooden, square-shaped stand characterized by openings on three of its sides, with the remaining side facing the altar. Offering kagami mochi on a sanpō to the deities expresses gratitude and wishes. It is an essential New Year decoration and an important item that conveys Japanese culture and customs.