Mochitsuki Home

Mochi Do About Nothing Performers

Mochi is one of the most important traditional foods for the New Year celebration. The process of making mochi is called mochitsuki, and although many families practiced this tradition in the past, it is now rare to see people making their own mochi. The sweet rice is soaked in water overnight, then steamed the next day. The hot cooked rice is placed in the usu (large mortar) and pounded with the kine (large wooden mallet). The person wielding the mallet is called the tsukite, while the ainote is the brave person who flips over the mound of hot rice in the usu between impacts of the kine to prevent it from sticking. Good timing is essential in mochitsuki--one mistake can lead to serious injuries.

Once the rice is pounded thoroughly, the soft rice paste is traditionally shaped into small round cakes to resemble a mirror, one of the three ancient imperial treasures, and thus represents wealth. Kagami mochi, one mochi cake stacked on top of a larger cake, is offered to the gods and ancestors in hopes of a prosperous new year.

The first Mochitsuki celebration in the Portland area took place in the basement of the Oregon Buddhist Temple. It was an overwhelming success and onlookers overflowed the intimate space. The Mochitsuki celebration has evolved and grown to occupy two buildings on the Sylvania Campus of Portland Community College.

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