• Death of a woman and six injured after choking on mochi in Tokyo
• Elderly most at risk

A woman died and six others were injured in Tokyo after choking on mochi, a chewy rice cake used in Japan to celebrate the New Year, which in recent years has caused hundreds of injuries and deaths.

Japanese media, citing the Tokyo Fire Department, reported that seven elderly people were hospitalized in the first three days of 2026 after choking on mochi.

The department added that a woman in her eighties died after choking on the sweet at her home in Tokyo about an hour after midnight on New Year’s Day.

Japanese authorities warn every year about the choking hazards of mochi.

Last January, two people died and seven others were hospitalized after choking on mochi.

Elderly people are particularly vulnerable to the risks of this sticky cake, as Japan has one of the oldest populations in the world.

Tokyo Fire Department statistics indicate that in the past five years, 338 people were hospitalized after choking on mochi or other foods, more than 90% of whom were over 65 years old.

More than half of these cases—177—occurred in December and January, when mochi is most commonly served.

Authorities have offered tips to avoid mochi-related incidents, such as chewing slowly, cutting the cake into small pieces, and moistening the throat with tea or soup before eating.

Mochi is a staple of traditional Japanese New Year menus, often eaten in a soup called “ozoni.”

In 2022, four women died from choking on mochi, and 12 others were hospitalized.

In 2015, nine people are believed to have died participating in this annual tradition.