Osechi 2027: Boxes From 6,480 Yen, Order by 22 December
The full name is osechi ryori. Cooks prepare the dishes before the year ends and pack them into stacked lacquer boxes called jubako. Takashimaya explains that the food keeps for days, so nobody has to cook during the first three days of January. Today most families in Japan buy a ready-made box, and the big department stores take orders online months ahead.
A visitor can order one too. You need an address in Japan that accepts a cold parcel on 31 December. You also need a way to pay and a plan to eat the food within a day or two.
What is in an osechi box
The photo shows the usual layout: square boxes stacked in tiers, each tier packed tightly with small portions. The Takashimaya Online Store osechi 2027 feature says the stacking carries a wish for good things to pile up, one on top of another.
Takashimaya sorts the dishes into five groups and says a complete set holds 20 to 30 kinds of food. Each group has its own tier.
- First tier (ichi no ju): the three celebration dishes plus kuchitori, such as kamaboko fish cake, datemaki rolled omelette and kuri kinton.
- Second tier (ni no ju): yakimono, grilled yellowtail, sea bream or prawns.
- Third tier (san no ju): nimono, simmered kombu rolls, lotus root, carrot and bamboo shoot.
- Fourth tier (yo no ju): sunomono, vinegared dishes such as red-and-white namasu.
The three celebration dishes, iwai zakana, decide whether the box counts as osechi at all. In the Tokyo area they are black beans, herring roe and tazukuri. In the Kansai area, tataki gobo, a pounded and simmered burdock root, replaces the tazukuri.
Every dish carries a wish, often through a pun on its name or its shape. The department stores explain the common ones this way.
- Kuromame (simmered black soybeans): work hard and stay healthy, a pun on “mame”.
- Kazunoko (herring roe): many children and a thriving family.
- Tazukuri (small dried sardines): a good rice harvest.
- Kombu maki (rolled kelp): joy, a pun on “yorokobu”.
- Ebi (prawn with a bent back): a long life.
- Kuri kinton (golden chestnut dish): money and wealth.
- Datemaki (rolled omelette): learning, from its scroll shape.
- Renkon (lotus root): a clear view of the future, through its holes.
- Kamaboko (red and white fish cake): the first sunrise of the year.
Modern boxes go well beyond these. Both stores sell wa-yo-chu boxes that mix Japanese, Western and Chinese dishes, plus Western boxes, Chinese boxes, meat boxes, sweets boxes and single servings.
The word itself comes from sechi, the seasonal festival days. Takashimaya notes that osechi once meant food for any festival day, such as 3 March or 5 May. Over time only the New Year meal kept the name.
A set often comes with iwai-bashi, celebration chopsticks tapered at both ends. The Isetan Mitsukoshi osechi 2027 feature page explains that one end is for the god, who shares the meal with you. The chopsticks are made of willow.
Japan’s farm ministry links this custom to washoku, the traditional food culture that UNESCO lists as intangible cultural heritage. The MAFF Washoku UNESCO intangible heritage page gives four features of washoku. The fourth is its close tie to annual events such as New Year, when families share food and time together.
The screenshot is that ministry page, in Japanese. The four numbered features sit in the middle, and number (4) names New Year as the example.
Why osechi searches jump in December
Interest in osechi jumps five-fold before New Year. Google Keyword Planner counted 9,900 worldwide searches in October 2025, 14,800 in November, then 49,500 in both December 2025 and January 2026.
| Month | Searches |
|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 8100 |
| Oct 2025 | 9900 |
| Nov 2025 | 14,800 |
| Dec 2025 | 49,500 |
| Jan 2026 | 49,500 |
| Feb 2026 | 9900 |
| Mar 2026 | 8100 |
| Apr 2026 | 8100 |
| May 2026 | 8100 |
| Jun 2026 | 6600 |
| Jul 2026 | 6600 |
| Aug 2026 | 6600 |
The chart shows that December brought 5.0 times the October count, and the level fell back to 9,900 in February. For the rest of the year, searches stayed between 6,600 and 8,100 a month.
Most people look osechi up in December, but the stores open their order windows months earlier. Daimaru Matsuzakaya started taking 2027 orders at 14:00 on 17 September 2026. Takashimaya says orders for osechi usually open around August, and it warns that popular boxes can sell out early.
Early orders also save money. Takashimaya runs an early-booking campaign with free shipping on osechi until 10:00 on 9 November 2026. If you arrive in Japan in late December, place the order in October or November, while every box is still on sale.
New Year goods fill the shops in December, like the kagami mochi in the photo. It is two stacked rice cakes with a bitter orange on top. Osechi orders close in the same weeks, so put the order on your list when you book flights and a room.
Osechi prices at department stores for 2027
Boxes for 2027 cost 6,480 yen for one person and 21,600 to 23,280 yen for four, tax included. The Daimaru Matsuzakaya Online Store osechi 2027 page and Takashimaya’s ranking pages listed these prices on 18 October 2026.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Takashimaya single box, 1 person | 6480 yen |
| Daimaru two tiers, 2-3 people | 11,880 yen |
| Daimaru one tier, 2 people | 15,800 yen |
| Daimaru three tiers, 3 people | 17,280 yen |
| Daimaru four tiers, 4 people | 21,600 yen |
| Takashimaya three tiers, 3-4 people | 23,280 yen |
The chart lines up six boxes from smallest to largest. Price rises with the number of tiers and people. Even so, a box for 2 to 3 people costs 11,880 yen and one for 4 costs 21,600 yen.
At Takashimaya, the cheapest boxes in the rankings are single servings.
- Wa-yo-chu single box (one person): 6,480 yen, or 11,880 yen for a set of two.
- Kyosaimi Nomura Hanakago (one person): 7,128 yen.
- Kyosaimi Nomura Yasaka, three tiers (2 to 3 people): 11,880 yen.
- Yumetsuru, three tiers (2 to 3 people): 16,800 yen.
- Takashimaya osechi, three tiers (3 to 4 people): 23,280 yen.
- Gasai, four tiers (4 or more): 23,280 yen.
Daimaru Matsuzakaya’s own range runs from 11,880 yen for a two-tier box to 37,800 yen for a four-tier box for 5 people. The store has held those prices for four years in a row. Its cheapest named-restaurant boxes start at 10,800 yen for 2 people, and a one-person box from the magazine Katei Gaho costs 12,312 yen.
Takashimaya sorts boxes into four budget bands: up to 19,999 yen, 20,000 to 29,999, 30,000 to 39,999, and 40,000 yen or more. It says boxes from 10,000 to 30,000 yen are the popular range.
The photo shows a Takashimaya store. You can also order at the counter in the stores. Daimaru Matsuzakaya takes orders by phone or fax at some branches too.
Check whether the box is frozen or chilled before you pay. Frozen boxes ship nationwide, and Daimaru Matsuzakaya says to thaw one in the fridge for about 24 hours the day before you eat. Chilled boxes come by regular delivery with cold packs. Most of them expire on 1 January 2027, so they suit a stay that includes New Year’s Day.
Order deadlines and delivery dates
The earliest deadline for 2027 osechi is 10:00 on 22 December 2026 at Daimaru Matsuzakaya. Takashimaya closes three days later, and Isetan Mitsukoshi sets dates store by store.
| Store | Order by | Delivery | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daimaru Matsuzakaya | 22 Dec, 10:00 | 31 Dec, 9:00-21:00 | Convenience store and ATM payment by 16 Dec |
| Takashimaya | 25 Dec, 10:00 (some 27 Dec) | 30 or 31 Dec | No time slot on 30 and 31 Dec |
| Isetan Mitsukoshi | Varies by store | Delivery or store pickup | Catalogue requests by 1 Dec, 10:00 |
The table shows each store’s last order time and delivery day. Each store also has earlier cut-offs for certain payments and products.
- Daimaru Matsuzakaya: orders paid at a convenience store, ATM, net banking or ID payment close on Wednesday 16 December. Boxes with shipping included close at 10:00 on Thursday 17 December.
- Takashimaya: the general cut-off is 10:00 on Friday 25 December, with some boxes open until 10:00 on Sunday 27 December. Boxes delivered on 30 or 31 December come with no time slot. Requests through Kuroneko Members cannot change that.
- Isetan Mitsukoshi: order periods differ by store. Paper catalogue requests close at 10:00 on Tuesday 1 December.
Daimaru Matsuzakaya delivers on Thursday 31 December between 9:00 and 21:00, and you cannot choose the hour.
Takashimaya also sells boxes for other dates. One group arrives on 28 or 29 December. Another arrives from 2 January 2027, for eating between 2 and 7 January. These help if you check in after New Year’s Day or leave before 31 December.
All three stores refuse cancellations and changes once you order.
The illustration compares the three stores on three points: last order time, delivery day and the cheapest box listed.
How to order osechi as a visitor
Daimaru Matsuzakaya lists seven steps for an online order. You pick a box, choose how to receive it, choose a payment method and add any coupon. Then you set the delivery, check the order and confirm.
The four panels keep only the choices that matter for a visitor. The second step, how you receive the box, needs the most care.
Delivery or pickup. Each store offers both. Delivery areas are narrow for chilled boxes.
- Takashimaya, Kanto: all of Tokyo except the outlying islands, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, Gunma, Ibaraki, Tochigi and Yamanashi.
- Takashimaya, Kansai: all of Osaka, Kyoto and Shiga, plus listed cities in Hyogo, Nara and Wakayama.
- Daimaru Matsuzakaya: Kanto and Kansai boxes go anywhere inside the same area. For pickup, choose a store such as Daimaru Umeda, Daimaru Kyoto, Daimaru Tokyo, Matsuzakaya Nagoya, Daimaru Sapporo or Daimaru Fukuoka Tenjin.
- Nationwide: mostly frozen boxes, with some areas left out. Outlying islands are generally excluded.
Isetan Mitsukoshi has stricter rules this year. You need a Mitsukoshi Isetan web membership to order online. In-store pickup works only at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi main store, and Isetan Shinjuku now ships only. On pickup day, show staff the 店頭受取画面 (tentō uketori gamen, in-store pickup screen) from My Page on your phone.
Payment. Daimaru Matsuzakaya takes credit cards, convenience store payment, ATM, net banking, PayPay, Rakuten Pay, d Barai, au Pay and Amazon Pay. Card orders stay open until the main deadline, while the cash-type methods close six days earlier.
The address. Daimaru Matsuzakaya lets you send several boxes to different addresses. To send one to a hotel, choose the option for delivery to an address you set yourself and type in the hotel address. Ask the hotel or host first whether staff will accept a cold parcel on 31 December and keep it cold.
The delivery itself often comes by Yamato. The Yamato Transport Cool TA-Q-BIN service page sets its chilled type at 0 to 10°C and its frozen type at -15°C. If nobody is in, Yamato keeps the parcel in a fridge or freezer at its branch for up to 3 days, counting the first day. Cool parcels are limited to 120 size, which means 120cm or 15kg.
Look at the label when the box arrives. 冷凍 (reitō) means frozen, and the box goes straight into a freezer or into the fridge to thaw. 冷蔵 (reizō) means chilled, and the box goes into the fridge.
Run through the four checks in the list before you pay. If any answer is no, pick in-store pickup instead or choose a box with a different delivery date.
Eating osechi on a trip: what is open on 1 to 3 January
New Year’s Day, Friday 1 January 2027, is the only national holiday. Banks still close from 31 December to 3 January, and many sights close for several days. A box ordered in advance makes those days easy.
The Cabinet Office national holidays page lists 16 national holidays a year. Ganjitsu, 1 January, comes first, and the law gives its purpose as celebrating the start of the year.
The screenshot shows that page, in Japanese, with the national holidays for 2026 and 2027. In 2027, New Year’s Day falls on a Friday, so 1 to 3 January makes a three-day weekend.
December has no national holidays in 2026 or 2027. Our December holidays page shows that Christmas is a normal working day. Our guide to Christmas in Japan covers what is open on 25 December. Government offices close from Tuesday 29 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, six days in all. The New Year 2026–27 closures page lists the bank and office dates in one place.
Trains get busy around the break. JR Central makes every Nozomi reserved-seat only from 25 December 2026 to 5 January 2027. Last winter the busiest day was Sunday 4 January 2026, when 350,000 passengers headed to Tokyo.
Many families eat ozoni with osechi, a soup with mochi rice cake like the bowl in the photo. Takashimaya sells a two-person box from Kyoto restaurant Tankuma Kitamise that comes with Kanto-style ozoni for 17,820 yen.
Plan the meal around the box. Eat a chilled box on 1 January, since most Daimaru Matsuzakaya boxes expire that day. Start thawing a frozen box when it arrives on 31 December, so it is ready the next morning.
After the meal, many people head out for hatsumode, the first shrine visit of the year. Our New Year in Japan guide covers shrine visits and what is open. The January holidays page adds Coming of Age Day on Monday 11 January 2027.
Taking osechi foods home
Most osechi dishes contain fish, roe, prawns or egg, and many modern boxes add beef. Plan to finish the box in Japan. Leftovers in your bag can trigger a declaration and a seizure at your home airport.
The United States asks travellers to declare every food item. The US CBP agricultural items for travelers page says all agriculture items must be declared. Meats and products made from animal materials may be banned or restricted. If you declare an item that is not allowed, you can leave it at the port. If you do not declare it, officers seize it and can fine you.
Australia’s list is short and direct. The Australian Border Force Can You Bring It In page lists homemade food, including meals and cakes, under “Don’t bring”. It lists fresh fruit the same way.
Japan checks the same kinds of food when you fly back in from a side trip. Our page on bringing meat products into Japan explains that most meat needs an inspection certificate from the exporting country’s government. The fish and seafood page says dried fish without livestock meat or egg is not inspected by the Animal Quarantine Service. Even so, an officer may check it.
If you carry a frozen box on a flight inside Japan, solid frozen food is allowed in the cabin and in the hold. Our frozen food rules limit dry ice to 2.5kg per person, packed so the gas can escape. On international flights, ice and ice packs count as liquids unless they keep medicine cold.
FAQ
When do Japanese people eat osechi?
Families eat osechi from 1 to 3 January, the first three days of the year. Most start on the morning of New Year’s Day, and some regions begin on New Year’s Eve. For 2027, New Year’s Day is Friday 1 January.
How much does an osechi box cost in Japan?
Department store boxes for 2027 start at 6,480 yen for one person at Takashimaya. A box for 2 to 3 people costs from 11,880 yen, and boxes for 4 cost about 21,600 to 23,280 yen. Prices include tax.
When is the deadline to order osechi for New Year 2027?
Daimaru Matsuzakaya closes online orders at 10:00 on 22 December 2026, or 16 December if you pay at a convenience store. Takashimaya closes at 10:00 on 25 December, with some boxes open until 27 December. Isetan Mitsukoshi dates vary by store.
Can tourists order osechi to a hotel in Japan?
Yes, if the hotel agrees to receive a chilled or frozen parcel on 31 December and keep it cold. Choose a box whose delivery area covers the hotel, and pay by credit card. If the hotel says no, pick the box up at a department store instead.
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