What traditional New Year's Eve dish is eaten in Japan at midnight or late on December 31?

The traditional New Year's Eve dish eaten in Japan is toshikoshi soba.

Toshikoshi soba means “year-crossing soba.” People commonly eat the buckwheat noodles on December 31, often late in the evening. The long noodles are associated with longevity, while their easy-to-cut texture is linked symbolically with leaving behind the hardships of the old year.

The custom became widespread during the Edo period, although explanations of its origin vary. Different regions and households serve the noodles with different broths and toppings, so there is no single universal recipe. Tempura, green onion, fish cake, and other ingredients may appear in local versions.

Toshikoshi soba is a New Year's Eve food, whereas osechi ryōri is a collection of dishes prepared for the first days of the new year. Mochi is also strongly associated with Japanese New Year, but it is not the specific noodle dish identified by the name toshikoshi soba.