An 83-year-old woman died in Tokyo on Friday after choking on a mochi rice cake, one of 15 people aged from 58 to 94 who were rushed to hospitals after eating the traditional New Year's food, the Tokyo Fire Department said.
The woman in Suginami Ward started choking after consuming the mochi in a traditional soup. The fire department said rice cakes should be cut into small pieces when eaten by the elderly.