Japan History and Culture

The opening of New Year’s rice cakes (Kagami biraki,鏡開き)

Kagami Biraki also known as the “Rice Cutting Ceremony”, literally “Mirror opening “or” Breaking of the Mochi.” means “to break the image of ourselves and our actions of the previous year. Many martial arts dojos hold such ceremonies to mark the beginning of the New Year. It traditionally celebrated on the January 11 (odd numbers are associated with being good luck in Japan).It refers to the opening of a Kagami mochi was offered to the Gods. Kagami biraki not cut with a knife, and instead the mochi(a round cake made of rice) was broken with one’s hands , wooden hammer or a wooden Taru (sake barrel) and to the opening of a cask of Sake at a party, wedding banquets, sporting events, starting a new company, ceremony, etc. People bake mochi into smaller pieces are roasted and put in zenzai or shiruko (sweet soup of boiled beans) or zoni (vegetable and meat soup) or eat it with salt or soy sauce.