This is toshikoshi-soba, a soba noodle dish traditionally eaten on New Year's Eve. Toshikoshi means "year-crossing" and the long noodles symbolize longetivity, and these are often eaten right before midnight.
The in-laws retire early though, so we had our toshikoshi-soba for dinner, along with nishime, a traditional New Year's nimono (simmered dish) of vegetables and chicken. That funny-shaped vegetable on top is kuwai (arrowhead, a marsh plant similar to water chesnut).
New Year's Eve is a rather solemn event in Japan, but we did open some bubbly when the countdown began and managed to get a bit festive.
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