Casual — to friend
Cultural · Dining
お雑煮のお餅、お宅は丸ですか、四角ですか？ — For your family's ozouni, are the mochi round or square? (Cultural · Dining, Casual — to friend, JLPT N3)
You
お雑煮のお餅、お宅は丸ですか、四角ですか？
おぞうにのおもち、おたくはまるですか、しかくですか？
For your family's ozouni, are the mochi round or square?
Romaji: Ozouni no omochi, otaku wa maru desu ka, shikaku desu ka? / Reply Romaji: Uchi wa kantou nano de shikaku da yo. Sumashi-jiru de ne.
Reply
うちは関東なので四角だよ。澄まし汁でね。
うちはかんとうなのでしかくだよ。すましじるでね。
Mine's square—we're from Kanto. With clear broth.
Gesture & etiquette
This is a friendly New Year's conversation starter. Smile, perhaps draw a circle and a square in the air with your finger to clarify. If someone says their region uses an unusual variation (red miso, kinako-dipped), show curious interest rather than surprise.
Ozouni (New Year's mochi soup) varies dramatically by region: East Japan generally uses square grilled mochi in clear soy broth, West Japan uses round boiled mochi often in white miso. Asking this question is a warm way to discover someone's family roots. The boundary roughly follows Sekigahara, with countless local variations beyond.