Pre China Weekend of Busyness, Part 2 - Katsuura Rice Pounding.

So the next morning I was out at Katsuura Elementary School for the annual mochitsuki - the pounding and making of the rice.

First, you smack the steamed rice with the big hammer, making it into a gooey dough. And when the kids do it, when the hammer is almost bigger than they are, it does give new meaning to the word cute.

And then the kids take the pounded rice and make it into a variety and flavors of mochi/rice balls.

[Daifuku is still the best, imo.]


But this is my 3rd year for the mochitsuki, so really, the only new thing rice related I learned is that pounding on the rice is a little harder when slightly hung over from the previous night.

Here's a couple of the adults, doing it the right way.






Actually, the coolest thing I saw that morning was a couple of the kids rough housing. And rough housing in Japan translates as well executed Judo techniques. Throws, reversals and pins... and the finish with the arm bar. Good stuff. Check out the vid.