SIX PEOPLE IN JAPAN CHOKED TO DEATH BY EATING MOCHI RICE CAKES!

Six people died in Japan while ringing in 2011 after choking on traditional rice cakes that are a staple of the country's New Year's Eve celebrations.

The confirmed victims – who were between the ages of 70 and 95 – suffocated to death on pieces of mochi in separate incidents over the weekend, the Guardian reported.

An additional 18 people choked on the glutinous rice cakes and were hospitalized, five of them in critical condition.

Mochi is prepared by pounding rice in a mortar until it takes on a chewy, elastic form. From there, the mass is usually shaped into a sphere or cube and is ready for consumption.

According to Russian news agency RIA Novosti, the Tokyo Fire Department warned its citizens about mochi prior to the latest New Year's festivities.

"Please be aware that mochi, which is so sticky, may cause suffocation if you swallow mochi without chewing it well," read the notice, which also recommended cutting the food into small pieces.

Mochi-related deaths are so common in Japan that a local company created a special vacuum attachment that is used to suck out the food from people's throats, the Guardian reported.


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