Twenty people in Tokyo, mostly elderly, received treatment at hospitals this week after choking on traditional "mochi" rice cakes, the Tokyo Fire Department said Friday.
The fire department called on the public to exercise caution in eating mochi as they expect similar accidents to occur during New Year's celebrations involving the rice cakes, which are made by pounding sweet rice and are very dense and chewy.
In a compiled report, 15 of the 20 people hospitalized between Sunday and Thursday are age 65 or older, the department said.
At least 11 are reported to be in critical condition after falling unconscious, the department said.
One of them, a 79-year-old woman from Nerima Ward, Tokyo, was in critical condition after choking on mochi at around 1:20 p.m. Tuesday, it said.
Mochi are traditionally eaten during yearend and New Year's holidays.
Their sticky consistency can make them difficult to swallow, especially for the elderly and children, and choking accidents are reported nearly every year.