In an annual tradition, giant rice cakes are offered to a shrine in central Japan to ensure good health and abundant harvest in the coming year.
Farmers and residents of the Aichi Prefecture make an offering of the round treat every year to the Atsuta Jingu shrine in Nagoya City.
Four rice cakes were offered on Monday — including the largest measuring 1.5 meters in diameter and weighing around 450 kilograms.
The rice cakes will adorn the main hall of the shrine until January 7 when they will then be broken up and distributed to worshippers in a tradition known as 'kagami biraki'.
