How to set a red and white Japanese New Year table

Oshogatsu is Japan's New Year, a few days of family, special food and fresh starts. This table is made for the first meal of the year: a crisp white cloth, red napkins tied with red and white cord, and a low bowl of pine and plum beside a black lacquer box of New Year food.

Red and white together, called kohaku, is Japan's pairing for happy occasions. Black lacquer and a little gold give the table weight, and the pine and plum keep it alive.

The palette

Five colors carry the whole table. Keep the metals gold, so they echo the gold on the lacquer box.

• Kohaku red
• Rice white
• Lacquer black
• Pine green
• Antique gold

What goes on the table

The look sits on plain white plates, simple flatware and clear glasses. These are the pieces that make it New Year, and you can shop every one in the Kohaku New Year collection.

• A pressed white tablecloth that hangs evenly on every side
• A red runner down the center
• Red cloth napkins, one per guest
• Red and white mizuhiki cord, one of each color tied around every napkin
• Chopsticks pointed at both ends, in paper sleeves, on a small rest at each place
• A three-tier jubako for the New Year food
• A low ikebana bowl with a kenzan, three plum branches and five pine sprigs
• White unscented tapers in gold holders, about one for every 2 feet of table
• A sake set for the first toast
• Japanese New Year place cards and a matching menu from Place Card Studio

Customs behind the table

Mizuhiki is a stiff paper cord used on gifts. Red and white cord marks a happy occasion, while black and white is for funerals, so keep to red and white here.

Celebration chopsticks, iwai-bashi, are traditionally tapered at both ends. One end is said to be for the gods and one for people, so guests don't flip them over to use the other end.

New Year food, osechi, is served in stacked lacquer boxes called jubako. Most dishes carry a wish for the year ahead. The tiers are counted first, second and so on, but the fourth is never called shi, because the word sounds like death.

Pine, bamboo and plum are a traditional trio. Pine stands for long life and plum for perseverance, which is why they fill the centerpiece.

The ikebana centerpiece

A kenzan, a heavy pin frog in the bottom of the bowl, holds every stem where you put it. Press five pine sprigs onto the pins around the edge and tilt them out over the rim. Then stand the longest plum branch near the back and add the other two at angles, each a little shorter.

Keep the tallest branch under about 12 inches above the table, so guests can see each other. Fresh plum may be hard to find in late December, which is why the collection uses faux branches. A few fresh red or white carnations tucked in low near the rim add life.

Make it yours

The same pieces work for a smaller table or a different shape.

• Round table: set the centerpiece in the middle and the jubako beside it, ringed with three tapers.
• A smaller party: for 4 guests, put the bowl and the jubako side by side at the center.
• No runner: set the jubako on a black tray, and the red napkins stand out even more.
• Fresh pine: swap it in for the faux sprigs, away from the food.

What's in the Styling Guide

The $8.99 Styling Guide walks you through the whole table, step by step, with drawings for every stage.

• A planning calendar from a week before to the moment guests arrive
• The shopping checklist for 4, 6, 8 and 12 guests
• Setting the cloth, the center and each place, with diagrams
• How to tie the napkins with mizuhiki cord
• The ikebana centerpiece, step by step
• Host tips and how to care for the lacquer afterward