NikkeiWest--Northern California Japanese American Newspaper

By Barbara Hiura---SAN JOSE—Wesley’s annual mochitsuki was a time for engaging youth and new folks who had never participated in this Japanese traditional event held in Japantown’s Wesley United Methodist Church on Dec. 29-30.

There were over 75 students from the Interact Club which is composed three high schools who are members, Silver Creek, Independence High and Andrew Hill, as well as 10-15 students who came from the San Francisco Japanese Club, according to mochitsuki co-chair Dale Sasaki.

They came and learned all the steps in making mochi. “It’s interesting,” Linda Pham, 16, noted. “It’s fun learning about other people’s heritage.”

“It was unexpected,” chimed in Bryan Nguyen, 17. “I really didn’t know what was involved. All I thought was that you make it and you’re done. I didn’t think about having to turn the mochi, over and over and over again. There’s a whole long process to this.”

Nguyen also enjoyed the fellowship. “There are really nice people here and they are all very helpful.”

For another, “It was tiring. Just flipping mochi, over and over and over again. It was a lot of work,” Michele Vo, 16, commented.

All three are welling to come back again, but for Vo, she said, “I’ll need to exercise before and prepare.”

This was all about community service, which is what the Interact Club is all about and it was both challenging and fun. Those in this club use their community service time when applying for certain colleges. “Many require that you have done some work in the community,” Pham noted, “and these activities help fulfill that.”

But the idea of giving back to the community is an aspect of the Interact Club’s motto: “service above self.”

“It’s great having the kids here,” Sasaki commented. “It brings them inside the church, it allows them to participate and learn about our mochitsuki. And, youth participation is growing.” Last year there were three schools participating with about 10 to 15 students each. Interact alone was that large.

Youth are Important

He also noted that “without these high school kids, our mochitsuki wouldn’t happen. We couldn’t do it without their help and that’s the flat out truth.” It takes many hands each year. “We probably get 25-30 from the church most of whom are cooks and cutters. We need all these youth to flip the mochi. This is the only way it can be properly cooled and prepped for sale.”

Families Participate

From youth to the elderly new folks came and learned. Wayne Haraguchi brought his parents, Sam and Esther Haraguchi for the very first time. Sam, 85, came even during the preparation part when rice washing was needed. He washed out garbage cans and put in black plastic sacks which were later filled with the washed mochi rice. He came the next day to help in the steaming process while his wife loaded trays of the fluffy white round mochi cakes. “It’s really great seeing everybody work together like this,” he commented. I was really surprised at how fast that mochi-making machine pounded the mochi.” Machines have taken over the pounding-by hand process.

“We invite them every year,” Yumi Haraguchi noted, “but this is the first time they’ve come

“If they weren’t here working, they’d probably be home in front of the television,” Wayne joked. “They come kicking and screaming,” he continued, “but once they got here, they don’t want to leave.” Everyone IN the family laughed. But it’s true. The shift was over, but they all went back to work after lunch. Sam agreed, he’d love to come back and that he’s having a great time. According to his son, his dad is from Hawaii and enjoys talking story with all the other Hawaii boys at this church.

Labor Intensive Process

Mochi-making is a complete process from making to selling the product. Modernization has come in, but it’s still a labor intensive process requiring many hands to complete the various tasks from opening the 20 lb. rice bags, and preparing the bins, and wash the rice to steaming and pounding by machine. From there hot cooked mochi rice is delivered to the tables to be cut and laid out on wooden slabs to be turned, turned, and turned some more. Flipping is so important for proper cooling.

Once the mochi is completely cooled, they are weighed and packaged in 2 and 3 lb. bags and made ready for sale. Others make the four pounds of noshimochi which are sold in slabs while still others prepare the ornamental pieces, okasane, one large round cake with a smaller one on top. A tangerine is placed at the very top and is displayed during the New Year festivities in the home. These take special attention and only those who have expertise are allowed to form them.

So many hands create a fine product ready for ozoni, New Year soup, or just toasted with sugar-shoyu. For some it’s toasted, rolled in kinako and sugar for a tasty treat and others like it toasted with a sweetened red bean soup (zenzai) poured over it. It’s a once-a-year treat needed to start the New Year off right. Wesley Church’s mochitsuki is the last one done in the area and the closest to the New Year.

Over 4,400 lbs. of mochi rice will be used to create some 3,000 lbs. of mochi. People from around the South Bay area come to get this freshly made mochi just two-days before the New Year. But even after, the church has frozen mochi for sale for those who just can’t get enough.