2023 Mochitsuki Workshops (Learn How Mochi is Made and Come Away with Delicious Fresh Mochi for Your Enjoyment)NEW

While eaten year-round, mochi is also a very important part of traditional Japanese New Year’s celebrations! Come to the Center’s annual mochitsuki workshop to learn how mochi is made and come away with delicious fresh mochi for your enjoyment and seasonal festivities! This is also a great cultural activity for groups and families!

Date
Saturday, December 16, 2023

Time
11:00 am - 5:00 pm (1/2 hour shifts)

Location
The Center, $20 Center Members, $25 General Public

Register

2023 Mochitsuki Workshops
• Mochitsuki is the ceremony in which cooked rice is pounded into mochi, traditionally using a heavy wooden mallet.

• Kagami mochi is a New Year decoration, which is traditionally broken and eaten in a ritual called Kagami biraki (mirror opening).

• Zōni is a soup containing mochi also eaten on New Year’s Day. In addition to mochi, zoni contains vegetables like taro, carrot, honeywort and red and white colored kamaboko (fish cake).

• Kinako mochi is a mochi dish that is traditionally made on New Year’s Day for good luck. This style of mochi preparation includes roasting the mochi over a fire or stove, then dipping it into water, finally coating with sugar and kinako (soy flour).

Ever want to make your very own mochi? Learn how at our annual mochitsuki workshops, thanks to one of Japantown’s past manju makers, Mr. George Yamada, owner of the Yamada Seika manju-ya, which served the community for 36 years and closed its doors in 1999. Mr. Yamada not only generously donated his mochi making machine to the Center, but has shared his talents and joy of this New Year’s tradition with the community. Join us as we transform hot rice into mochi, and learn how to make your own “ko-mochi” (fresh mochi), with kinako, anko, and other sweets. A fun -filled cultural workshop you will not want to miss, and your friends will love you when you bring home all the extra mochi! Take home up to 2 lbs. of your own mochi for New Years!

REGISTER ONLINE
Register by Friday, December 8, 2023

$20/person for Center Members
$25/person for general public
Children 5 years old and under are FREE
Group pricing for groups of 6 or more is available. Please call us at (415) 567-5505 for details.

Workshop Time Slots
Shift 1: (11:00am-11:30am)
Shift 2: (11:45am-12:15am)
Shift 3: (12:30pm-1:00pm)
Shift 4: (1:15pm-1:45pm)
Shift 5: (2:15pm-2:45pm)
Shift 6: (3:00pm-3:30pm)
Shift 7: (3:45pm-4:15pm)
Shift 8: (4:30pm-5:00pm) 

See All New Years Events