Tang Dynasty China medicine tradition transmitted to Japan in Heian period (794–1185) — documented in Heian court records as 御屠蘇; formalised as household New Year ceremony in Edo period
Otoso—spiced sake drunk as the first ritual of the Japanese New Year on January 1st—is one of the oldest continuous Japanese food traditions, documented from the Heian period (794–1185) when it was introduced from Tang Dynasty China as a medicinal preparation to ward off evil spirits and diseases for the coming year. The drink is prepared by steeping a medicinal herb packet (toso-san—a blend of Japanese pepper, dried ginger, cinnamon, sansho, atractylodes, and other herbs) in sake or mirin overnight, then decanted into a special lacquered flask set (toso-ki) comprising three flat sakazuki cups of graduating size (representing three generations) and a lacquered toso-bin flask. The ceremony requires specific protocol: the youngest family member drinks first (so that the eldest receives the benefit of the youth's vigour), moving in ascending age order; each person receives the same two cups, rotating through the three sakazuki in order. The sweet, spiced, aromatic character of otoso—both from the herb infusion and from the mirin base—is immediately distinctive and marks the beginning of the New Year with specific sensory memory that Japanese people associate exclusively with January 1st.
Sweet mirin or sake base; spiced warmth from sansho and ginger; cinnamon sweetness; herbal medicine undertone; the flavour is inseparable from its January 1st temporal context — sensory memory of New Year morning
{"Toso-san herb packet: traditional blend includes Japanese pepper (sanshō), ginger (shōkyō), cinnamon (keihi), atractylodes (byakujutsu), and aconite (processed—not raw toxic aconite)—each herb has documented kampō medicinal properties targeting specific organ systems","Mirin vs. sake base: traditional otoso uses hon-mirin as the base for its sweetness; modern versions use sake or sake-mirin blend; the mirin version is much sweeter and more approachable for children","Steeping overnight: herb packet placed in sake/mirin the night of December 31st; steeped overnight at room temperature; strained before service on New Year morning—do not steep longer as over-extraction creates bitter, medicinal overload","Youngest-to-oldest service order: this reversal of normal Japanese hierarchy (eldest first) is specific to otoso and derives from the belief that the youngest person's vitality strengthens the drink as it passes to older family members","Three-cup rotation: the three gradually larger sakazuki are used in ascending order—each person drinks from the smallest first, then each size; the ceremony typically takes 5–10 minutes for a family","First-food-and-drink tradition: otoso is the first beverage of the New Year, taken before any food; the order is: otoso → osechi ryori; this sequencing is considered important for the ritual's protective power"}
{"Purchase toso-san herb packets at Japanese pharmacies and traditional herb shops (kanpō-yaku) from mid-December; they are sold specifically for New Year use; some premium versions include gold leaf","Create the otoso set as a gift: a small lacquered toso-ki set, a bottle of hon-mirin, and a pack of toso-san herbs is an extraordinary traditional Japanese New Year gift for families with interest in food culture","The mirin version of otoso (less sake, more hon-mirin) is appropriate for including children in the ceremony—the reduced alcohol and higher sweetness makes it accessible while maintaining the ritual meaning","Store the otoso-ki lacquerware wrapped in cloth inside its original box; the set is used only once per year; proper storage maintains the lacquer and ceramic condition for decades of annual ceremony"}
{"Steeping the herb packet too long—overnight (8–12 hours) is correct; leaving for multiple days produces an aggressively medicinal, bitter over-extraction that is unpleasant; timing matters","Substituting regular western wine or spirits for sake/mirin—the specific flavour profile and ritual context requires the correct Japanese base; western spirits produce completely wrong character for the ceremony","Serving in regular glasses or ceramic cups—the specific lacquered toso-ki set (sakazuki and toso-bin) is part of the ceremony's sensory identity; the vessels communicate the ritual's significance through their material and form","Omitting the youngest-to-oldest service order—the specific service hierarchy is not optional; skipping it reduces the ceremony to simple drinking rather than the intergenerational transfer the ritual represents"}
Japanese New Year Traditions (NHK Publishing); Heian Period Medicine and Food (Kyoto University Historical Studies); Traditional Kampō Food Practices (Kitasato University)