Choking on Mochi
Every New Years in Japan around a dozen people or so, mostly eldery, die from choking on mochi, or sticky rice cakes, which are a part of the traditional New Year cuisine. Made from pounding cooked glutinous rice into a gooey pulp, mochi has a tendency to get stuck in the throat if too large a piece is eaten. Ask any Japanese person what they would do if one of their family members were choking on mochi, and 4 out of 5 will tell you they’d grab the household vacuum cleaner, stick it down their loved one’s throat, and turn it on. Apparently this works.
Miriam wrote:
Wow! I never realized Mochi could be so dangerous. I tried the stuff here ( it didn’t look anything like that picture) and wasn’t too impressed. However, I am sure the real deal in Japan is much better.
Posted 05 Jan 2006 at 11:43 am ¶
Aaron wrote:
Well, there are hundreds of different varieties in terms of color, textures, and tastes. So what you had may have indeed been authentic. Just take small bites and chew well. And make sure you have a vacuum cleaner within reach!
Posted 06 Jan 2006 at 8:44 am ¶
Kathi Fuji wrote:
Just read that four people died of mochi this Shougatsu and more are in hospital in serious condition (in Tokyo alone). My mother died of food choking. The Heimlich Maneuver (upward thrusts) could have saved her life had she or someone else known it.
The vacuum cleaner needs electricity and quick accessibility; the Heimlich Maneuver needs two hands, which everyone has. Even people living alone can use the back of a chair or the side of an ofuro to exert pressure on the diaphragm to raise up against the lungs and expel the air (people have air in their lungs even after exhalation) with force/energy to clear the airway. (Gum balls and hard candies have been known to fly out of the mouth due to the forced air/energy generated.) As a former [hospital] Accredited Admitting Manager, I wrote this article in memory of my mother and am getting it translated into Japanese. If you are interested in the translated article, you may use the article but may not change any of the information. (I have permission from the Dr. Heimlich to use all the information contained in it, including sketches.) I am saddened over the four deaths I read about and am sure that there are more people who choked this holiday season; often these deaths are attributed to heart attacks or other causes since the ambulance/first aid teams do not always notice/find the bolus that generated the choking which resulted in a heart attach or other cause of death. (In my mother’s case, the piece of meat was still in her mouth and she suffered a heart attack subsequent to choking; she also sustained brain damage and was in a coma due to lack of oxygen caused by choking.) According to Japanese statistics, holiday times (Dec and Jan) are the highest incidence of choking as in other countries when there are festivities, family reunions, people are laughing, drinking, talking and children are running and playing and eating candy or hotdogs or other foods. The groups most affected are children under two and older people. Maybe together we can do something to save some families tragedy and grief of the loss of loved ones for next Shougatsu. Best regards, Katherine Wyllie Mansoor (Fuji)
Posted 08 Jan 2007 at 12:10 pm ¶
Aaron wrote:
Hi Kathy…
Thanks for taking the time to share your experience and explain the facts about choking. In fact, one of the EFL lesson topics I cover each year in class with my Japanese students is what to do in emergency situations. 95% of them invariably say that if they saw someone choking, they would slap them repeatedly on the back. It amazes me that more of them don’t know about the Heimlich, which for me was common knowlege amongst American youth in the 80s.
Where can I find the article to which you refer? I would especially be interested in the Japanese version so that I could pass it on to people I know.
Posted 10 Jan 2007 at 12:34 pm ¶
Rachel. R wrote:
Hi, im Rachel, 29 years old. Im from england but just 4 months ago i went on a holiday trip to Japan with 3 friends. During this time, i had the harrowing and unfortunate and very SCARY experience of choking on a sticky rice cake. It happened so easily, as im always a fast eater, i was wolfing it down when some became stuck in my throat. No matter what i did, i just could not get it loose. Once my friends realised i was choking, all hell broke loose. To cut a long story short, my friends tried pounding my back, heimlich manouvereing me several times, but when that didnt work, my screaming best friend Kate stuck her fingers down my throat in pure desperation as i had turned blue, and THANK GOD!! she managed to scoop and pull out all the gooey rice that was stuck. A large amount of vomit then projected from my throat. I was so relieved. I can honestly say it is the most TERRIFYING experience i have ever had. Anything such as Mochi or Sticky rice in my eyes, is far too dangerous for anybody to eat. Just thought i would share my story with you all. Thanks.
Posted 04 May 2007 at 12:27 am ¶
Aaron wrote:
Gosh Rachel, that’s a really terrifiying story. I’m glad you lived to tell about it. I will certainly be a lot more careful about feeding mochi to my children. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Posted 09 May 2007 at 2:55 pm ¶
Katherine WM Fuji wrote:
This is to Aaron, My apologies for not answering sooner. I have been trying to get an English language Japanese newspaper to print the article on saving lives from food choking (as a public service) and have found no support at all. So I am translating it into Japanese and still trying so that perhaps some lives will be saved during this next Shougatsu/Christmas season. Do you have any suggestions as to where I can forward the article to someone who cares about other people not dying of food choking? Thanks for any suggetions. Best regads, KWMF
Posted 02 Aug 2007 at 3:07 pm ¶
Aaron wrote:
Hi Kathy,
I’m currently asking around to find the right place to publish such an article. Why don’t we continue communicating by email. I don’t have yours, so please email me at aaronpcampbell [at] gmail [dot] com
Aaron
Posted 03 Aug 2007 at 12:48 pm ¶