Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on December 2013
Ever been to a Japanese wedding and seen the bride and groom pound a huge barrel with a mallet? Kagami-biraki is a traditional ceremony that involves breaking the top of a sake cask at celebrations including housewarmings, groundbreaking ceremonies and the first working day of the year. The “kagami” doesn’t mean “mirror” as you may suspect, but the round lid of the barrel, which is symbolic of harmony. Komodaru makes the tradition fun and easy with its mini kagami-biraki sets (¥7,350) created by designers for New Year’s fetes. They come empty so you can fill them with sweets, party favors or even pop-up snakes. They make great omiyage, and the traditional looks means no wrapping necessary .
