TOKYO (TR) – Nine people were rushed to hospitals in the capital after choking on sticky mochi rice cakes over the three-day New Year holidays. Two of the victims were later confirmed dead.
According to the Tokyo Fire Department, the nine men and women aged between 73 and 84 were rushed to hospitals after choking on mochi between Wednesday and Friday, reports NHK (Jan. 4).
On Wednesday, a man in his 70s living in Itabashi Ward choked on mochi and later died. The next morning, a man in his 80s living in Nerima Ward was also confirmed dead after he choked on a cake at his residence.
The Tokyo Fire Department is urging people to cut mochi into bite-sized pieces, chew slowly before swallowing, and moisten their throats with tea or soup before eating mochi.
According to a survey by the department, 368 people were rushed to the hospital after choking on mochi or other foods between 2019 and 2023. Of them, approximately 90 percent were over 65 years old. In that span, the month with the most hospitalizations was January with 142 people, followed by December with 43 people.
