Mochitsuki - Mochi Pounding
Kai and his classmates waiting for the mochi pounding to begin
 Rice for Mochitsuki |
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 Mike tries mochi pounding |
 Kai tries mochi pounding |
 And Eidan tries mochi pounding |
Tuesday of last week was Mochitsuki (もちつき) at Kai’s School:
…the pounding of mochi or rice cakes, which is essential to the “Oshogatsu” or New Year’s celebration. Mochitsuki is an all-day event which requires many hands, long hours, and physical labor, but is also a time of fellowship and socializing with friends and family…After the rice is cooked, it is dumped into the usu, or mortar, made from a wood stump, stone or concrete form. The hot cooked rice in the usu is pounded with a kine or wooden mallet. With enthusiasm and force, the mochi is pounded until the mass of rice is smooth and shiny, with no discernible individual grains of rice. An essential participant in the pounding is the person assisting who quickly darts his or her hand into the usu and turns the rice before the next rhythmic pound.
If you’re curious about how the tradition originated, there’s a good account on the page Mochitsuki - A Japanese Custom.
I’m the only dad who comes to the school on a regular basis to drop off and pick up his kid. Apparently tending to the kids during the day is still the exclusive realm of moms, at least in this corner of Tokyo. In the days leading up to Mochitsuki, I was asked repeatedly by the half dozen or so of the moms who speak some English for my reassurance that I would be there. The kine mallet is just as hefty as a sledgehammer, so they were trying to find as many men as they could to swing it (I have no problem at all with women doing this, but they simply did not see it as something for them to do). Fortunately for me a few other dads showed up as well, so we were able to take turns through about 2 hours of mochi pounding.
Once we got started I was very glad I already knew how to swing a sledgehammer, as the same technique applied here (with the right swing, gravity does most of the work, not your arms). Once I got into a rhythm with my assistant (she would reach in and turn the rice quickly between swings of the hammer), it was fun.
The kids mostly watched and shouted various encouragements, but they all got a short turn swinging a smaller mallet.
When we were done, a small army of moms went into the school’s kitchen and prepared a wide assortment of mochi dishes, and then we had a mochi feast for lunch. I love Japanese food, but I have to say I’m not too crazy about the glutenous texture of mochi. I did like the isobe maki though (grilled mochi wrapped in nori, with soy sauce).
