Kuromame: A Meaningful Tradition of Japan’s New Year

In many cultures, New Year’s traditions are deeply meaningful. They mark a time of renewal, reflection, and new beginnings, setting intentions for the year ahead.

In Japan, families welcome the New Year—known as Oshōgatsu—with a celebration centered around Osechi Ryōri, a traditional feast made up of symbolic dishes meant to invite happiness, health, and good fortune. Among these foods is kuromame, a black soybean that symbolizes prosperity and well-being. 

Main takeaways

• Kuromame are traditional black soybeans served during Japan’s New Year as part of Osechi Ryōri, symbolizing health, perseverance, and well-being for the year ahead.
  

• Osechi Ryōri is both a meal and a mindful tradition, prepared in advance so families can slow down, rest, and enjoy meaningful time together during Oshōgatsu.
  

• Kuromame continues to evolve beyond the New Year’s table, including their use in kuromamecha, a roasted black soybean tea enjoyed year-round.

What Is Osechi Ryōri? 

Osechi Ryōri is more than a meal. It is a tradition steeped in history and meaning. With origins dating back over 1,000 years, it began as an offering to the gods during seasonal court ceremonies. Over time, it spread into households across Japan and became the centerpiece of New Year’s celebrations.

Osechi Ryōri is made up of carefully prepared dishes, each chosen for its name, color, shape, or ingredients, all of which carry symbolic meaning. Families arrange the foods in multi-tiered lacquered boxes called jubako, which themselves symbolize good fortune and abundance.

Common Osechi dishes include:

• Sweet rolled omelette (datemaki)

• Sweet black soybeans (kuromame)
  

• Herring roe (kazunoko)
  

• Candied chestnuts and sweet potatoes (kuri kinton)
  

• Candied sardines (tazukuri)
  

• Pounded burdock (tataki gobō)
  

• Red and white fish cakes (kohaku kamaboko)
  

• Konbu rolls (konbumaki)
  

• Pickled carrots and daikon (kohaku namasu)
  

• Shrimp (ebi)
  

• Sea bream (tai)
  

• Simmered vegetables (nishime)

Families prepare these dishes ahead of time and enjoy them together over the first three days of the New Year.

What Is Kuromame and How Is It Prepared?

Kuromame are black soybeans that are soaked overnight and gently simmered for hours in a sweet soy sauce mixture until they become soft and glossy. This slow cooking process gives them a subtly sweet, savory flavor and a smooth, tender texture.

The beans are typically simmered with sugar, soy sauce, and a pinch of salt. Some traditional recipes include baking soda or iron-rich tools (such as rusty nails) to help deepen the beans’ black color, which is believed to enhance both their appearance and symbolic power. It takes up to eight hours to cook the beans, allowing the flavors to develop fully while honoring time-honored techniques.

Kuromame are usually placed in the top tiers of the jubako boxes, emphasizing their importance as a symbol of happiness, health, and good fortune for the year ahead.

A Simple Sweet & Savory Kuromame Osechi Recipe

Whether you’re celebrating Osechi Ryōri or simply looking for something comforting to enjoy over the holidays, kuromame is a meaningful and delicious addition to any menu. Follow our simple recipe below to make your own at home.

Ingredients

• 7 oz black soybeans 
• 5 cups water
• 1 cup cane or castor sugar (adjust the sweetness to your liking) 
• ½ tsp salt 
• 1 ½ tbsp soy sauce 

Instructions   

1. Soak your soybeans: Gently rinse your soybeans to leave the skins intact. If any beans have skins peeled off, you can still use them.

2. Add to pot: In a large pot, add soybeans and water. Also include 2-3 rusty nails wrapped in a cheesecloth or an alternative, such as this one. Soak your beans for 4 hours or overnight (depending on package instructions).

3. To cook:

• • Add sugar and salt to your pot with the soybeans and mix (keep the nails or iron fish in the pot). 

  • Bring the pot to a boil over medium heat.

  • Once boiling, skim any white foam from the surface.

  • Place a drop lid (otoshibuta) over the beans, and then cover the pot with a regular lid.

  • Reduce the heat to low and simmer for at least 4 hours (or until the beans are tender).

  • When your beans are done, remove the nails or iron fish.

  • Add the soy sauce and mix well. 

  • Remove the pot from the heat and cool.   

Kuromame’s Symbolism in the Japanese New Year

Kuromame holds deep symbolic meaning in Japanese New Year traditions. Traditionally, people believe that the glossy black beans are believed to ward off misfortune and protect the household. The word “mame” carries positive meanings such as health, diligence, and hard work, making kuromame a symbol of strength and perseverance in the coming year.

By including kuromame in Osechi Ryōri, families express hopes for physical well-being and the ability to thrive throughout the year, values that are deeply rooted in Japanese culture.

Kuromame’s Role During Oshōgatsu

During Oshōgatsu, kuromame is typically enjoyed alongside other Osechi dishes such as sweet rolled omelette, candied chestnuts, or simmered vegetables. Because people prepare the foods in advance, they can be eaten cold or at room temperature during the first few days of January, when cooking is traditionally avoided.

This pause from daily labor allows families time to rest, visit shrines, and spend meaningful time together. Eating kuromame during these days becomes a quiet ritual, one that completes the New Year’s table and reinforces the spirit of Oshōgatsu.

Why Kuromame’s Meaning Matters Today 

As the New Year represents a fresh start, traditions like Osechi Ryōri add to the holiday's deeper meaning. Kuromame serves as a symbolic blessing for happiness, health, and good fortune, reminding families of the values they hope to carry forward.

By preparing and enjoying kuromame each year, families and individuals preserve and pass down these traditions, allowing future generations to connect with the meaning and cultural heritage behind Japan’s New Year celebrations.

Kuromame Beyond the New Year Table

While most commonly associated with Osechi Ryōri, kuromame's role in Japanese culture extends beyond the New Year’s feast. Kuromame is also enjoyed as kuromamecha, a black soybean tea known for its naturally nutty flavor and comforting warmth.

Often sipped throughout the year, kuromame tea reflects many of the same values associated with the dish itself—balance, nourishment, and mindful enjoyment. Whether eaten as part of Osechi Ryōri or brewed into tea, kuromame continues to be a meaningful presence in everyday life.

Reflecting on Kuromame’s Symbolism

Kuromame shows how even the simplest foods can carry profound meaning. A single black soybean represents resilience, protection, and dedication—values that resonate far beyond the New Year.

Its continued presence during Oshōgatsu keeps tradition alive while offering a moment to pause, reflect, and welcome the year ahead with intention and optimism. This New Year's cook yourself some kuromame or brew a cup of kuromamecha and soak up all this simple black soybean has to offer. 

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If you want more about this tea and delicious recipes, explore them here:

• Kuromamecha Black Soybean Tea Benefits
• 8 Delicious Ways to Eat Leftover Kuromame Black Soybeans After Brewing
• How to Make Black Soybean Tea or Kuromamecha 
• The Meaning of Ichigo Ichie: Making the Most of Every Moment

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