☆KAGAMIBIRAKI☆

On January 11, “KAGAMIBIRAKI”(鏡開き) is held in Japan.
By the way, what is “KAGAMIBIRAKI”!?
Do you know!?

Now, I’ll show you!!
“KAGAMIBIRAKI” is a Japanese event which is cutting a Kagamimochi!!
Kagamimochi is rice cake!!
The shape of it is round!!
We make two rice cakes, small one & big one each.
Then, we put big one down,
And put small one on the big one!!
Like this…

We display “Kagamimochi” on tha stand in the little alcove at New Year’s to offer it to the gods.
There was an ancient belief which the gods visit houses at New Year’s in Japan.
So we offer “Kagamimochi” to them!!




After a while…

We hold “KAGAMIBIRAKI” on January 11!!
We have displayed “Kagamimochi” since New Year’s Day,
so “Kagamimochi” has become hard, opened and broken!!
It is extremely unlucky to cut “KAGAMIMOCHI” with a knife so people break it into smaller pieces by hand or with a hammer!!
Then, we eat “KAGAMIMOCHI”.
“BIRAKI(HIRAKI)” means “OPEN” in Japanese!!
So it is called “KAGAMIBIRAKI”!!

Let’s try eating!!


See you!!