This is mochi, or rice cake, formed into a round shape to represent a mirror (kagami), one of the three sacred treasures, and displayed at New Year as an offering to the New Year gods (toshigami).

Japan's “Oshogatsu “ or "Shogatsu," or New Year's celebrations, are deeply rooted in custom and have great cultural value. Beginning on January 1st and often continuing into the first few days ...

During the New Year’s season, families commonly set out a stacked pair of rounded rice cakes, known as kagami mochi, as offerings to Toshigami, the New Year’s deity. This is a centuries-old ...

This New Year's Eve ... The soup is made with mochi, or sticky rice cakes, and can include vegetables and meats. Mochi is also prominent in the ubiquitous kagami mochi, also referred to as ...

In Japan, mochi is still eaten during the New Year season by the vast majority of people — nearly 90% of respondents in a 2001 survey commissioned by a Japanese sake maker, Konishi Brewing Co ...

An ancient Japanese ... the new year continues Saturday at the Japanese American Service Committee. For two decades, the JASC and the Tohkon Judo Academy have teamed up for an annual Kagami- ...

During the Japanese New Year celebration, arguably the most important holiday in the country, mochi takes on a sacred role. Named kagami mochi, this variety is displayed from around December 28 to ...

Sticky rice cakes, or mochi, as the Japanese call them, are made by pounding the life out of glutinous rice and are a staple during the Japanese new year feast. The average Japanese consumes ...

looks forward to the brothy soup bobbing with mochi pieces every year. Ozoni is standard New Year’s Day fare for many Japanese Americans, whether they are nisei, the children of Japanese ...