Nine people were taken to hospitals in Tokyo after choking on mochi during the first three days of the new year. Two of them later died.
According to the Tokyo Fire Department, the nine people were aged between 73 and 84, TV Asahi reported. A man in his 70s choked on mochi at his home in Itabashi Ward just after 12:30 p.m. on Jan 1, and his family called 119, TV Asahi reported. He was taken to hospital where he was confirmed dead. The second fatality was a man in his 80s who lived in Nerima Ward.
Health authorities have called for caution against mochi-related accidents, such as moistening your throat with tea or soup before eating mochi, cutting it into small, easy-to-eat pieces, and not swallowing it in a hurry, but chewing it slowly before swallowing it.
© Japan Today
21 Comments
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therougou
Not at all. 9 hospitalized just in Tokyo. What other foods cause that?
If anything they need bigger warnings.
Mocheake
Luckily, my mochi went down without any problems and was very delicious too.
@Japan Glimpsed
According to FNN, over 3500 die annually from choking on mochi, with those over 80 accounting for more than 2500 deaths.
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/da95748fb3abebd8d6808221c90515c64cbe81a8
The_Beagle
Still surprised after all these years that the obvious solution of cutting mochi into pieces small enough to be safely swallowed before being put in the ozoni, at least for the elderly, has not been thought of.
Lindsay
It’s about the same every year despite the warnings.
Quo Primum
Or, it's about the same every year, in part, because of the warnings.
Millions of people in Japan ate mochi over New Year's.
Of those millions, a grand total of nine were taken to hospital and two died.
When I do the math, I find that it's a very small number.
And if we presume that at least some of those millions who ate mochi without incident were keeping the warnings in mind while eating it --
-- then I'd say the warnings were successful and effective.
GBR48
There is a real issue in Japan where if something is done for a couple of years it becomes a tradition, and is then repeated for the next ten centuries, no matter what the annual body count is.
Make mini mochi for the elderly or switch to French Fancies.
Quo Primum
It probably was.
Millions of people in Japan ate mochi without incident over New Year's. At least presumably.
Many of them likely saw "that government warning the other day" and kept it in mind while they ate their mochi.
tora
Never had any issues with omochi, or fugu either, for that matter. Could be a matter of time.
Nicolò
Mochi has been traditionally considered as a measure to prevent aging population.
@Japan Glimpsed
In Tokyo, over a 3-day period. See above post for more reliable link.
Wesley
I feel that during Mochi season, they should have short intructional videos on TV on how to do the Heimlich maneuver. ( both self and on others, esp on children and elderly)
MilesTeg
About as bland as pasta and bread.
grc
Yes it does sound horrible
travelbangaijin
If you cannot swallow it, then you shouldn't eat it or try to digest it
Mr Kipling
Old people choking on food is not limited to new year mochi. It is a fairly common way to die for the over 80's in poor health. But they just love to put out mochi death trap stories every year. It is now part of Japanese new year culture. Already looking forward to next years.
@Japan Glimpsed
Looking forward, are you? To what.
According to welfare ministry figures, nearly 4700 died in Japan from choking in 2022. Over 90% 65+. From the same report, more than 2500 choked on mochi.
You could find easily, if you knew how, or cared.
Fighto!
Mochi and fugu: the extreme foods of Japan that sadly take lives every year.
RIP to the victims - but surely elderly people over 65 should have heeded the endless warnings and either refrained from eating mochi, or had their carer/family cut it up into bean-sized pieces.
リッチ
Out of millions and millions consuming the make kind of food, seems to be so rare but yet gets headlines and government warnings. It’s kind of ridiculous.
factchecker
That government warning the other day was real effective. Best stick to ice cream instead of a known choke hazard.
Pukey2
I'm more surprised that people choose to eat such bland food.