Oshogatsu Panel 2 - New Year's Preparations

For the Japanese and nikkei in Hawai’i, buying food and other things for New Year's is an important custom. To have everyone go out and buy the same things in preparation for New Year's reinforces their Japanese identity. Let's see what they sell for New Year's in Hawai’i.

At Nijiya Market, a popular Japanese supermarket in Honolulu, they sell New Year's merchandise like rice for making mochi, sake, soba noodles, soba broth, kinako, anko, kirimochhi, otoshidama envelopes, round mochi (kagami mochi), chopsticks, naruto, kamaboko, and date-maki (sweet rolled omelette). For osechi meals, they sell black beans, tazukuri sardines, kinton, fried egg, and kobumaki.

In Hawai’i, a popular members-only supermarket called Marukai imports food and merchandise from Japan. At the end of the year, the store is full of New Year's food especially osechi dishes. Almost like a supermarket in Japan.
Don Quixote has daily necessities, clothing, fish, meat, a bakery, medicines, and a Japanese food section. It also sells kadomatsu bamboo decorations, round mochi, and osechi dishes like lotus root and gobo.

Panel photos: Top is Nijiya, lower left is Marukai, and lower right is Don Quixote.