PORTFOLIO

COURTESY OF HONBUSHIN INTERNATIONAL CENTER Mochi pounding is serious business at Honbushin International Center, so folks there held a rehearsal on Dec. 7. Yoko Remington, left, and Lillian Seu fashioned the pounded mochi rice into round, flat pieces.

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By Craig T. Kojima
ckojima@starbulletin.com

FAMILIES who sought holiday togetherness and some good luck for the New Year needed to look no further than the Mochitsuki Festival, hosted by Honbushin Hawaii Mochitsuki in Mililani, where mochi pounding is an annual event. This season's festival, which attracted some 1,500 visitors, was held Dec. 29 and also included such festivities as taiko, karaoke and Polynesian dances.

COURTESY OF HONBUSHIN INTERNATIONAL CENTER While mochi is being pounded at Honbushin International Center's rehearsal mochitsuki, or mochi pounding, above, it is turned constantly to give the rice a consistent texture.

When the festival began in 1985, Honbushin simply pounded and gave mochi as a gift to family and friends. Eventually, all on the receiving end began to take part in the traditional New Year mochi-pounding ceremony. Today, Honbushin's goal is to educate the community about the significance of Mochitsuki.

COURTESY OF HONBUSHIN INTERNATIONAL CENTER The actual mochitsuki on Dec. 29 included a performance by the Honbushin Ladies Happy Taiko.

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