Introduction

Welcome to a season of renewal. Wishing you a prosperous New Year filled with joy and celebration.

January first is the most important celebration of the year in Japan. Thus, at the start of the new year, various traditional practices and rituals are conducted to celebrate the beginning of the year and to wish for prosperity and success in the months to come.

The New Year period is marked not only by celebratory events but also by special foods and sweets. For instance, "Osechi," a dish made with ingredients that have auspicious meanings and symbols, is carefully packed into layered boxes. Additionally, there's "Ozoni," a special soup enjoyed on New Year's morning, which varies significantly in preparation and ingredients depending on regional traditions. Japanese cuisine reflects the local culture and takes full advantage of the natural bounties of each area.

The Three Major Japanese Tea Ceremony Schools

As the New Year begins, the Japanese tea ceremony（茶道, The Way of Tea）, one of key cultural events, offers a reflective and celebratory way to embrace the season’s essence.

There are distinct "schools" or “styles” in the Japanese tea ceremony, each with its own set of practices and philosophies. Although the methods vary slightly, the fundamental principle in preparing tea and hosting guests remains consistent across all schools. The most renowned figure in the history of the Japanese tea ceremony is SEN no Rikyu（千利休）, who is credited with perfecting the art during the Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods (around the 15th century). His descendants established the three main schools that continue to this day: Omote-Senke, Ura-Senke, and Mushakoji-Senke.

During the New Year, each school conducts its first tea ceremony of the year, "Hatsugama（初釜）," which means "first kettle." This event involves using the kettle for the first time in the new year, using water drawn at dawn on New Year’s Day, referred to as "young water（若水; Wakamizu）," which is considered particularly pure and auspicious. When it comes to sweets served at regular tea gatherings, some flexibility is granted: a host can choose the type of sweets, and a Wagashi artisan can creatively name them, evoking the season's natural beauty. However, Hatsugama is unique in that each school serves its own traditional wagashi (Japanese confections) specifically prepared for this occasion. Let's explore these New Year sweets further.

Omote-Senke School（表千家）

For the Omotesenke school's first ceremony of the year, the traditional sweet served is a manju (sweet bean-filled bun) called "Tokiwa-manju（常盤まんじゅう）." This confection is made by wrapping white azuki bean paste, which has been dyed green, in a white yam dough. At first glance, it appears as a simple white sweet bun, but upon splitting it open, the cut surface vividly reveals a green shade as if a pine tree was budding through the winter snowscape. The green color symbolizes the enduring strength of the pine, which keeps its leaves unchanged throughout the winter for centuries. Infused with the refined beauty of the tea ceremony, this confection embodies the elegance suited for the New Year's first tea gathering.

The white bean paste is typically made from navy beans (white kidney beans), but for Tokiwa-manju, precious white azuki beans are essential to vividly and beautifully represent the shade of green. The production of white azuki beans accounts for only about 0.1 to 0.2% of beans used for bean paste production. This exclusive material used for the sweet reflects the tea ceremony's philosophy of cherishing a moment of tranquility with meticulously chosen ingredients, making it a dignified sweet fitting for the New Year's tea ceremony.

Tokiwa（常盤）encapsulates the essence of evergreen trees, remaining green and unchanged even through winter.

Ura-Senke School（裏千家）

One of the most iconic New Year wagashi for the tea ceremony might be “Hanabira Mochi（花びらもち）,” meaning “flower petal mochi” enclosing a filling of white bean paste flavored with white miso, usually tinted light pink to evoke spring flowers. A sprig of sweetened burdock root is also tucked inside, adding a unique texture and flavor. Some versions feature a small, diamond-shaped pink mochi atop the white bean paste within the fold.

This unique sweet evolved from a New Year's ritual called “Hagatame（歯固め; tooth firming）,” practiced during the Heian period (794 to 1185) where hard foods were consumed to wish for longevity. Over time, this ritual gave rise to today's Hanabira Mochi. The incorporation of unusual ingredients like miso and burdock in this tea ceremony sweet is inspired by Kyoto-style Ozoni, a New Year's soup, thus connecting it to another traditional New Year's food.

Hanabira Mochi has recently undergone significant changes regarding the “correct serving direction.” Traditionally, the folded side was oriented away from the guest, but it has become increasingly common to present it with the folded side facing forward.

The reasons for this shift include the mochi's original design, which mimics the shape of an ayu（鮎; sweet fish）, symbolizing purity and simplicity as this beautiful plain water fish only lives in crystal clear creek. In this design, the fuller part is traditionally considered the bottom. This choice not only reflects aesthetic considerations but also embraces cultural values, enhancing the ease of enjoyment for the guest while incorporating significant symbolism.

The current grand master of the Urasenke school has liberalized this practice, allowing tea ceremony hosts to decide the orientation themselves. This flexibility in tradition, adhering to core principles while embracing change where appropriate, remains a cherished aspect of the tea ceremony. May I suggest observing the orientation when you have a chance to taste this New Year's festive sweet?

Hanabira Mochi（flower petal mochi）is a traditional Japanese confection that appears exclusively from the end of the year through mid-January. The serving direction reflects hospitality（Omotenashi）from the host.

Mushakoji-Senke School（武者小路千家）

The Mushakojisenke school's traditional sweet for the first tea ceremony of the year is inspired by the poem “Miyako no Haru” (Spring in the Capital). The phrase 'the willows are green, the flowers are crimson' vividly describes the vibrant spring of Kyoto, where willows bud green and flowers bloom brightly. This imagery is beautifully captured through the green and red shades in the confection known as “Kinton.”

Kinton（きんとん or 金団）is a confection where sweet red bean paste or gyuhi （求肥; a soft mochi）forms a small core, which is then enveloped in nerikiri（練切り）—an artistically colored and shaped bean paste. The outer layer is coated with finely sieved nerikiri to create a fluffy appearance, with each decoration elaborately applied by hand using chopsticks. The choice of sieve fineness and color combination are meticulously selected to evoke the essence of the season. This confection represents the lush greens and bright reds of Kyoto's spring, mirroring the picturesque natural scenery celebrated in the poem.

*For further information about the Japanese tea ceremony, please refer to our past blog post: Matcha Stories Part 2: The Japanese Tea Ceremony (茶道)

Enjoying the New Year

Each Japanese confection enjoyed during the New Year’s tea ceremony holds deep symbolic meaning, celebrating both the auspicious nature of the season and the commencement of new practices. Over time, Hanabira Mochi, traditionally associated with the Urasenke school's first ceremony of the year, has become a beloved New Year’s treat beyond tea ceremony practitioners, representing a key element of Japanese New Year celebrations. As you enjoy these seasonal sweets, reflect on the rich history and traditions they carry, and let them enhance your New Year festivities.

During the New Year, Team TREHA^® also looks forward to spending heart-filled moments with family and close friends. Enjoying Hanabira Mochi, a confection brimmed with the hopes of past generations for the future, encourages lively conversations and smiles, blessing the start of the new year and fostering a joyful spirit to carry throughout the year.

- A Wagashi Proposal from Team TREHA^® -

TREHA^®, a food ingredient originating from Japan, pairs exceptionally well with wagashi. Team TREHA^® is proud to have many experts in Japanese confections. If you're interested in learning about the benefits of using TREHA^® in wagashi, please contact us. We’re eager to discuss how we can assist you.

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