Photo/Illutration Sogo & Seibu is offering an osechi box called “Wayou Secchu Kappu Osechi Nidanju” (two-tier Japanese and Western-style New Year's dishes) that allows purchasers to dine on both Japanese and French cuisine for 32,400 yen, including tax. (Hirotaka Yamaguchi)

Major department stores in Japan are already entering sales battles of traditional Japanese cuisine to celebrate New Year's called "osechi."

While an increasing number of consumers become budget-minded due to the continuing price hike, more products emphasize cost-effectiveness, increasing both volume and the number of dishes.

In contrast, there are also high-priced offerings emphasizing their sumptuousness, showing a polarization in the market.

Sogo & Seibu is offering a four-tier osechi set called “Bimizukushi” (collection of beautiful flavors) priced at 23,220 yen ($157) including tax and shipping. It provides a generous amount of food, yet the price per tier remains under 6,000 yen, making it a cost-effective choice.

“We focused on cost-effectiveness. We have managed to offer the four-tier osechi set at this low price,” a department official said.

Tobu Department Store is also emphasizing affordability. After last year's offerings advertised for large groups were well received, Tobu has increased its lineup of meat-only osechi to 12 varieties; this is 1.5 times more options than 2024. 

It also introduced a 4-kilogram hors d’oeuvre-style option in a single-tier box, priced at 35,640 yen.

A survey conducted this year by Matsuya Ginza revealed that 87.6 percent of respondents plan to spend New Year’s at their homes, at their parents’ home or with relatives.

Meanwhile, a total of 77.5 percent said they plan to either buy osechi or buy some components and prepare the rest at home. 

However, with rising ingredient costs, all department stores are struggling with pricing.

Takashimaya, for example, has raised the cost of its most popular standard osechi, a top-seller for 17 consecutive years among its annual spread, by 400 yen to 23,200 yen including tax. The department store has also bumped up the price tags of many other offerings by around 5 percent.

The price of Daimaru Matsuzakaya's popular three-tier version of Japanese-style “Kofuku Osechi” was raised by 1,700 yen to 31,500 yen including tax.

While more products are designed to appeal to budget-conscious consumers, high-end items are also drawing attention.

Many department stores are collaborating with renowned restaurants and luxury hotels in cities like Tokyo and Kyoto, offering premium osechi priced from several hundred thousand yen to more than 300,000 yen.

In an extreme example, Matsuya Ginza is offering a single osechi priced at 1 million yen, including tax, to celebrate its 100th anniversary.

The three-tiered feast is a collaboration between prestigious ceramics maker Tsuji Seijisha and a Japanese restaurant in Hiroo, Tokyo. Dishes are tucked into an Arita ceramicware box along with five matching plates.

In the case of multiple applications being submitted before the end of September, a lottery will be held to determine the purchaser.

All major retailers began showcasing their osechi offerings online from late August, signaling an earlier start to the sales season. In-store orders began around September or October, with ordering expected to peak in November.

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