Kawatorimochi - Kawatorimochi

...On this day, the custom of making mochi (rice cakes) and dumplings and throwing them into rivers was widespread throughout the country. These were called "river-soaked mochi" or "river-crossing mochi," and it was said that people would give them to kappa so they wouldn't be pulled in by them, or that eating them would keep them from drowning in the river. In the Chugoku region, it is said that smearing botamochi on the knees will keep people from falling in the river, and in the Kanto region, it is said that if children put their bottoms in the river early in the morning on this day, they will not be carried off by kappa, suggesting a desire to prevent drowning.

*Some of the terminology that refers to "Kawadori Mochi" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…この日，餅やだんごをつくり川へ投げ入れる習慣は広く全国にわたっていた。これを〈川浸り餅〉〈川渡り餅〉などといい，河童に引き込まれないよう河童に与えてやるとか，これを食べると川でおぼれぬなどという。中国地方ではぼた餅を膝などに塗りつけると川で転ばぬといい，関東ではこの日の早朝，子どもが川にしりをつけると河童にさらわれないと伝えており，水難を防ごうとする意識がうかがわれる。…

※「川渡り餅」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報