The annual Musashi Urawa Japanese Language Institute Mochitsuki (mochi making) Celebration was held on January 15th in the middle of arctic winds.
This type of event has recently become less common in Japan, and the beginner students in particular were excited to see the mortar and pestle for the first time. Cutting through the cold winds the pestle made its rhythmic journey, and finally produced nice, warm mochi.
The menu consisted of zoni soup and red bean paste, as well as kinako mochi, and all the students were involved in the cooking. Not surprisingly, the favorite station was stretching the mochi into different shapes while it was still hot.
The most popular item of the day turned out to be the zoni soup. The students were eager to try this traditional Japanese dish, and were pleasantly surprised by the taste. Now they all want to introduce it to their friends back home.
The celebration was a great way to experience some traditional Japanese New Year?s customs.