Nine people have been hospitalized in recent days in Japan after eating mochi. These rice-based pastries are not always easy to eat and can pose a risk of choking, as Tokyo firefighters reminded local media, relayed by USA Today. Of the hospitalized patients, two ultimately died.
These are two men in their sixties who suffocated in their home at the beginning of January. The nine people treated by emergency services were all elderly, as is often the case in such cases. According to a Tokyo Fire investigation, 368 Japanese people were urgently hospitalized after eating mochi between 2019 and 2023. Around 90% of them were over 65 years old.
A popular cake for the New Year
The rice cake, which can be flavored with fruit or chocolate, is very popular with the local population, especially during the New Year celebrations. And this has been the case for decades. In France, we find more and more mochis in specialized stores and even in supermarkets, particularly in the frozen foods section.
Following this series of incidents, Tokyo firefighters urged the Japanese to exercise extreme caution. They recommend cutting the mochi into pieces and chewing them slowly, while accompanying them with a hot drink.
