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).
Work to make round rice cakes for New Year is in full swing at Yamada Mochi Honten rice cake shop in Nagoya's Mizuho Ward on Dec. 27, 2024. In the work area, where steam was rising from rice ...