Ozoni (???) is a mochi soup that we eat along with Osechi Ryori (traditional dishes) on New Year’s Day in Japan.  The preparation for ozoni varies both by household and region.I’ve shared Kansai (western Japan) style Ozoni recipe before, so this year I’m sharing Kanto (eastern Japan) style Ozoni.

Kanto Style OzoniUnlike white miso based Ozoni enjoyed in western Japan (Kansai, Shikoku, and Kyushu regions), clear dashi-based soup is the mainstream in Tokyo and eastern Japan (Read this post to learn some of the differences between eastern and western Japan.).The soup includes toasted mochi, chicken, and komatsuna (???) – a Japanese mustard spinach, usually harvested in winter months.
Ingredients for OzoniAs each family has their own recipe, there are often colorful ingredients added like fish cakes (kamaboko), dried shiitake, and carrot that are cut out in a pretty flower shape (here’s how to make it).Some of the key ingredients for ozoni – such as komatsuna, yuzu (citrus), and mitsuba (Japanese parsley) – can be hard to find outside of Japan and you might need to substitute or skip.If you’re in the U.S., first check out large Japanese Japanese supermarkets like Nijiya, Mitsuwa, and Marukai, where they usually fully stocked for New Year’s ingredients.Living outside Japan, it’s hard to recreate an authentic Oshogatsu (New Year’s Day) experience, however I do try my best to keep the Oshogatsu spirit going with J...