TOKYO (The Japan News/ANN): A total of seven people between the ages of 80 and 96 were taken to hospitals after choking on mochi in Tokyo in the first three days of the new year, according to the Tokyo Fire Department.
Among them was a woman in her 80s, who died.
According to the announcement on Jan 4, the woman choked on daifuku – mochi stuffed with sweet bean paste – in her home in the early hours of Jan 1. She was taken to hospital but was declared dead. In Shinagawa ward and elsewhere, five men and women fell unconscious and were in critical condition after choking on mochi.
From 2020 to 2024 in Tokyo, a total of 338 people were rushed to the hospital after choking on mochi, with 33 of them dying. About 40 per cent of cases occurred in January, and about 90 per cent of people taken to hospital were 65 or older.
“Before you eat mochi, cut it into small pieces,” a fire department official said. “Please chew well before swallowing.”
For the record, Mochi is a traditional Japanese rice cake made from glutinous (sticky) rice, pounded into a soft, chewy dough and molded into shapes, often filled with sweet red bean paste (anko) or ice cream.
Eaten year-round but especially significant during the Japanese New Year, mochi symbolizes good fortune and comes in many forms, from simple plain cakes to elaborate sweets like daifuku (filled mochi) and mochi ice cream, highlighting its versatility in both sweet and savory dishes. -- THE JAPAN NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
