Kagami Mochi & Zoni

Japanese folklore tells of gods living in mirrors, and kagami mochi ("mirror rice cakes", so named for their shape similar to ancient mirrors) have been used as a decoration on New Year's Day so that people could start the new year together with the gods. There is also a dish called zoni ("rice cake soup") commonly eaten on New Year's Day. Different households in different regions of Japan make their own versions of zoni.