On January 7, a long line formed at Otori Shrine in Asakusa. People waited patiently in the cold, drawn not by a festival performance or a spectacle, but by the promise of a New Year’s tradition.
What was being offered was simple: fresh mochi, made from rice pounded earlier that day, and nanakusa-gayu—rice porridge cooked with seven spring herbs traditionally eaten on this date. The porridge itself is nothing more than plain rice gently simmered, mixed with finely chopped greens and lightly seasoned with salt.
Gathering Luck in Tokyo: A Night at Asakusa Tori no Ichi
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| Ootori Shrine |
By January 7, the excitement of the New Year has begun to settle, and daily life slowly resumes. Eating nanakusa-gayu on this day is a long-established custom, practiced not only at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, but also at community events with no religious setting, and at ordinary family tables. Across Japan, the dish appears in many forms, from places of worship to secular gatherings and everyday meals at home.
Simple in both ingredients and preparation, this modest bowl nonetheless carries deep roots in Japanese food culture.
What Are the Seven Spring Herbs? — A Tradition
of Eating Wild Greens
The term nanakusa literally means “seven herbs.”
The seven herbs traditionally used in nanakusa-gayu are:
- Seri
- Nazuna
- Gogyo
- Hakobera
- Hotokenoza
- Suzuna
- Suzushiro
Compared with modern vegetables bred for large edible
portions, these plants are small and understated. They are not showy crops, but
plants that have grown wild or been cultivated in Japan for centuries.
- Seri: Native
to Japan and found throughout the country; known for its aromatic scent
and crisp texture.
- Nazuna (shepherd’s purse): Originally from China and the Mediterranean
region; a hardy plant with a slightly peppery flavor.
- Gogyo (cudweed): Native to Central Asia; a member of the daisy family with small
yellow flowers.
- Hakobera (chickweed): Native to Eurasia; prefers moist ground and has small leaves and
flowers.
- Hotokenoza: Native to Eurasia; overwinters and blooms in early spring.
- Suzuna (turnip): Introduced from Central Asia; cultivation was encouraged during the
Nara period.
- Suzushiro (daikon radish): Originating from the Mediterranean region and
introduced to Japan in ancient times.
Turnips and daikon are substantial root vegetables, but
in nanakusa-gayu the leafy greens are often used, sometimes along with the
roots. Overall, many of the seven herbs are closer to wild greens or garnishes
than to main vegetables. Even in modern Japan, they rarely appear on everyday
tables, and few people today could identify them growing in the wild.
What Is Rice Porridge? — And How Nanakusa-gayu
Is Made
Rice porridge needs no complicated explanation.
It is simply rice cooked with more water than usual, until soft. It can be made
easily in a rice cooker or in a pot on the stove.
The preparation of nanakusa-gayu is surprisingly simple:
- Rinse the rice and cook it with extra water
- Once the rice has softened, add the chopped herbs
- Season lightly with salt
- Heat briefly and serve
That is all.
No oil, no sugar, no meat or fish. It is so plain that one might wonder how
this could be considered a ceremonial dish at all.
Following a Narrow Path Through Japanese
Vegetable Culture
The origins of nanakusa-gayu are often traced back to a
Chinese New Year custom known as Jinjitsu no Sekku, during which soup with seven vegetables was eaten.
In Japan, this practice merged with an older tradition of gathering and eating
young wild greens that emerge in early spring.
After enduring the harsh winter, people welcomed the year’s first signs of green into their bodies. It was a way of sensing the changing seasons and living in rhythm with nature, and of wishing for good health and freedom from illness throughout the coming year.
In fact, most vegetables eaten in Japan are not native.
Japanese food culture has long absorbed plants from abroad and adapted them to
local climates.
Among the seven spring herbs, seri is considered one of the few native species.
Many of the others originated in China, Central Asia, or the Mediterranean and
were introduced to Japan before the Nara (710–794) and Heian (794–1185) periods, later becoming
naturalized or cultivated.
Even so, compared to leafy vegetables such as spinach,
cabbage, or lettuce—introduced much later—nanakusa belongs to a far older layer
of Japanese food history.
The number seven itself became fixed as an auspicious set
sometime around the 13th century. Variations of nanakusa-gayu have likely been
eaten for hundreds of years, and given its simplicity—wild greens and rice—it
is easy to imagine similar dishes existing long before the custom was
formalized.
Nanakusa-gayu allows people to taste wild plants that
have quietly blended into daily life over centuries, in their most basic form.
It is one of the few dishes through which Japan’s ancient vegetable culture can
still be felt.
“Vegetables That Appear Only Once a Year”
From late December through the New Year, supermarkets
across Japan suddenly display “Seven Spring Herbs” packs near their entrances.
These seasonal bundles are available almost exclusively at this time of year.
Pre-measured and easy to use, the herbs can be chopped
and added directly to rice porridge. Some sets come pre-washed, while others
are freeze-dried for convenience.
Today, nearly all seven herbs are cultivated rather than
foraged, and most are produced and shipped intensively in the short period
leading up to January 7.
Although fewer households observe traditional rituals in detail, the
convenience of these packs has made them surprisingly popular, often selling
out quickly.
Despite being humble wild greens, nanakusa takes on a
special presence at this time of year—much like a Christmas turkey does in
other cultures.
Nanakusa-gayu as a “Reset Button” for the New
Year
There is another meaning attached to eating nanakusa-gayu
at this time of year.
It is often described as a way to “rest the stomach” after the rich foods and
alcohol of the New Year holidays.
After days of heavy meals and celebrations, this gentle
porridge soothes the body. Several of the herbs have long been used as
medicinal plants, and their perceived benefits may have been passed down
through experience.
From feast to simplicity, and then back to everyday
life—the year truly begins.
Because it stands in quiet opposition to luxury, nanakusa-gayu fits naturally
into the rhythm shared by many Japanese seasonal traditions.
On the morning of January 7, across Japan, bowls of
porridge release soft steam scented with earth and young greens.
Nanakusa-gayu is a quiet signal—marking the moment when both body and mind are
gently reset for the year ahead.
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