Toshikoshi soba is the Japanese New Year's Eve noodle dish associated with longevity and a clean break with the past.
The name means “year-crossing soba.” People commonly eat the buckwheat noodles on December 31, often shortly before or around midnight. The long, thin noodles are linked symbolically with a long life, while their ease of cutting can represent breaking away from hardship or misfortune from the old year.
Toshikoshi soba is not a single fixed recipe. It may be served in hot broth and topped with ingredients such as green onions, shrimp tempura, fish cake, or egg. Regional and family variations are common.
The custom is distinct from Japan's Joya no Kane ceremony, in which Buddhist temple bells are traditionally rung 108 times around New Year's Eve. Both are important seasonal customs, but one is a meal and the other is a bell-ringing ritual.