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This is the quintessential Japanese noodle dish you should eat over new year

Soba is one New Year’s tradition we don’t need to give up

Cutting off 2020: This festive toshikoshi (“year-crossing”) soba includes duck prepared nanban style, with the sweetness of winter leek enhancing the rich fat of the bird. | MAKIKO ITOH

By Makiko Itoh
Contributing Writer

Dec 19, 2020

Japan is gearing up for a much less busy and less festive end of year period.

According to a survey of more than 10,000 companies conducted in mid-November, 87% are not planning to hold their usual bōnenkai (year-end parties), or even their shinnenkai (New Year's parties). Companies in the Hokkaido, Kanto and Kansai regions are even less likely to go ahead with these normally boisterous occasions.

So you may be out of luck if your usual way of ushering out the old year was to have a big party on New Year's Eve. In 2020, the best plan may be to enjoy a quiet evening watching TV under a kotatsu (heated table) while slurping a warm bowl of toshikoshi (“year-crossing”) soba.