7 Taken to Hospitals After Choking on Mochi in Tokyo During 1st 3 Days of New Year; 1 Woman Declared Dead

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:04 JST, January 5, 2026

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, a woman in her 80s has died.

According to the announcement on Sunday, the woman choked on daifuku — mochi stuffed with sweet bean paste — at her home in the early hours of Thursday, New Year’s Day. She was taken to the 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% of cases occurred in January, and about 90% of people taken to the hospital were 65 or older.

“Before you eat mochi, cut them into small pieces,” a fire department official said. “Please chew well before swallowing.”