The Japanese New Year's Eve noodle dish traditionally eaten at the year's transition is toshikoshi soba.
The name means “year-crossing soba,” and the meal is commonly eaten on December 31. It is a simple soba-noodle dish whose ingredients and toppings vary by region and household. Many people associate the noodles' length with longevity, while their ease of cutting is linked symbolically with leaving misfortune behind.
Toshikoshi soba is a custom rather than a single standardized recipe. Broth may be flavored with soy sauce and dashi, and toppings can include scallions, tempura, fish cake, or other ingredients. It should not be confused with osechi ryōri, the collection of prepared foods served during the first days of the new year. Soba is specifically linked with New Year's Eve and the crossing from one year to the next.