TOROROIMO: The Eating Culture of January 3rd in Japan

This morning, I went to the supermarket near my house. In my town, many supermarkets start opening from January 2nd, and some even operate on January 1st.

When I was a child, no supermarkets were open on January 2nd, so we had to stock up on food for the New Year holidays. However, thanks to the hardworking supermarket staff, we can now buy whatever we need whenever we need it. I’m truly grateful for that!

This morning, I went to the supermarket to buy nagaimo (yam). In Japan, there is a tradition of eating grated yam on January 3rd. Grated yam is sticky and stretchy, which is considered lucky. It’s also believed to strengthen our bodies against colds and is gentle on stomachs that might feel weak after overeating and overdrinking during the New Year festivities.

Today, I enjoyed grated yam as part of this tradition, and it was absolutely delicious!

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