Interesting fact:

In Japan, one of the most popular desserts is mochi, which is traditionally made by pounding glutinous rice into a paste with a wooden mallet, then shaped into delicious balls or ‘cakes’. A bit different from traditional baking in the west, but the results are equally delicious. Careful though; hundreds of senior people die every year in Japan when they find the mochi too chewy to swallow properly. Oops!