January 11 is known as kagami biraki (鏡開き) literally opening the mirror. Before the New Year comes, we decorate a pair of piled round (mirror shape) mochi (rice cake) called kagami mochi (鏡餅). See photo. They are put at toko no ma (床の間), alcove and/or kami dana (神棚), a household Shinto altar and/or genkan (玄関), entrance and so on to welcome toshi gami sama (歳神様), the Year God. And on Jan. 11, they are taken down and cooked and eaten. Usually we eat as o zoni (お雑煮), rice cake soup or o shiru ko (お汁粉), sweet bean paste soup with rice cake.
Until the third Shogun Iemitsu Tokugawa passed away on April 20, 1651 (lunar calendar), this custom had been held on Jan. 20, but people wanted to avoid the same date (20th) in the Kanto area, they decided to do on 11th, the same date as kura biraki (蔵開き), storehouse opening which merchants practice.
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