This was taken by Desiree Caro and submitted for Discover Nikkei’s Nima-kai 2020-2021 Oshogatsu Traditions photo activity.

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My great-grandmother, my Bachan, always celebrated Oshogatsu and prepared beautiful meals to share with family. This year, my brother made the mochi and I made the ozōni while we attended university from home. As kids learning to cook, our Bachan forgave any and all of our culinary mistakes with a, “that’s quite alright!” before working her magic to repair our recipes or encouraging us to try again. Our Bachan was a force in life and in the kitchen. Though we all miss her greatly, we are grateful for the opportunity to reconnect with her through recipes and traditions.