The New Year period is one of Japan's biggest holidays and it is traditional to cook a special soup containing sticky rice cakes, known as mochi.
Fire department officials say this New Year they have reports of at least six people choking to death from eating the rice cakes in Tokyo alone.
Five others survived but are in a serious condition.
The victims were all in their 70s or older.
Every year many Japanese people die from eating mochi, with authorities repeatedly advising people to cut the cakes into small pieces before eating them.
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/03/3105595.htm?section=justin
New Year Rice Cakes Japan Deaths
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