Kagami mochi
kagami mochi 鏡餅 mirror rice cake traditional japanese new year decoration usually consists two round mochi rice cake smaller placed atop larger daidai japanese bitter orange attached leaf top addition may sheet konbu skewer dried persimmon mochi sits stand called sanpō 三宝 sheet called shihōbeni 四方紅 supposed ward fire house following year sheet paper called gohei 御幣 folded lightning shape similar seen sumo wrestler belt also attached kagami mochi first appeared muromachi period th–th century name kagami mirror said originated resemblance oldfashioned kind round copper mirror also religious significance reason clear explanation include mochi food special day spirit rice plant found mochi mochi food give strength two mochi disc variously said symbolize going coming year human heart yin yang moon sun daidai whose name mean generation said symbolize continuation family generation generation traditionally kagami mochi placed various location throughout house nowadays usually placed household shinto altar kamidana also placed tokonoma small decorated alcove main room home contemporary kagami mochi often premoulded shape stacked disc sold plastic package supermarket mikan plastic imitation daidai often substituted original daidai variation shape kagami mochi also seen region three layered kagami mochi also used three layered kagami mochi placed butsudan kamidana also variant decoration called okudokazari placed centre kitchen window three layer mochi kagami mochi traditionally broken eaten shinto ritual called kagami biraki mirror opening second saturday sunday january important ritual japanese martial art dojos first adopted japanese martial art kanō jigorō founder judo adopted since practice spread aikido karate jujutsu dojos noshi daphniphyllum