In Japanese tradition, eating mochi on or around the New Year will bring good luck. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Mochi is made by mashing rice in a large mortar and pestle.

A man in his 70s choked on mochi at his home in Itabashi, just outside Tokyo, on New Year's Day, and was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, local TV reported. Another man in ...

AI has also breathed fresh life into osechi dishes, which add color to the table during the New Year’s holidays. Last year, Aeon Retail Co. marketed its first batch of osechi dishes developed by ...

Lunar New Year, a festive cultural day honoring the new year traditions of Asian countries like China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam is also celebrated by millions of people around the world including ...

For the Lunar New Year 2025, I asked NPR readers and listeners to share the new and old traditions they practice to ensure a lucky year ahead. Here are some of their responses, edited for length ...

Ancient Japanese people maintained fish-based diets despite rice farming introduction 3,000 years ago from Korea.