What is the name of the New Year's Eve midnight meal traditionally eaten in Japan?

Toshikoshi soba is the traditional New Year's Eve midnight meal in Japan.

The name means “year-crossing soba,” and the dish is eaten on December 31 as people prepare to move from the old year into the new one. It usually consists of buckwheat noodles in a hot broth, with toppings varying by region and household. Common additions include green onions, tempura, kamaboko, and mushrooms.

Several symbolic explanations are associated with the custom. The noodles’ length can represent longevity, while their ease of cutting is sometimes linked with leaving behind hardships from the old year. Soba is also connected with resilience because buckwheat plants can withstand difficult weather better than some crops.

Toshikoshi soba is distinct from osechi ryōri, the elaborately arranged food traditionally eaten during the first days of the New Year. It is also different from toshikoshi udon, a regional variation using thicker wheat noodles.