---
title: Kagami-mochi
url: https://karigurashijourney.com/en/notes/kagami-mochi/
lang: en
journey: https://karigurashijourney.com/en/episodes/kyoto-soba/
---

# Kagami-mochi

A little of each town’s story　/　Kyoto City, Kyoto

Kagami-mochi is the offering made when welcoming Toshigami, the deity of the new year, and every part of its decoration has a meaning. The custom of offering it is said to have begun in the Muromachi period. January 11 is the day of kagami-biraki.

## This moment in the journey: Getting ready for the New Year

Mustn't forget the New Year preparations. By the window I set out a small kagami-mochi topped with a fan and an orange-colored fruit. Kagami-mochi is an offering for Toshigami, the deity of the new year, who is welcomed into the home.

On the table, sweets wrapped in blue paper sat in a round bentwood box, with a card bearing the name 花斗六. According to the card, they bring out the flavor of large white runner beans, with a moist sweetness. I poured tea from a blue-and-white pot and took a break.

I wondered how the people who lived in this house in the Taisho era spent their Decembers. Winter sun slipped into a narrow lane between wooden fences.

![Kagami-mochi topped with a fan and an orange-colored fruit](https://karigurashijourney.com/img/kyoto-soba/s35-1200.jpg)
- Sources: https://www.maff.go.jp/j/keikaku/syokubunka/culture/wagohan/articles/2301/spe13_01.html

Read this scene in the full journey: https://karigurashijourney.com/en/episodes/kyoto-soba/