Mochitsuki

 My friend kindly invited me to join her family on New Year's Eve morning for mochitsuki, the pounding of rice to make mochi. This is a Japanese tradition around the new year. 

First the rice was cooked.

Then it was put into the large wooden mortar, called usu.

The rice is alternately pounded with a wooden mallet, called kine, and turned. Experts can do this very fast with no one getting hurt.  Since my friend and I are not experts and we didn't want to hit her father, we paused for the turning.

When it was pounded enough, my friend and her mother removed the stitcky pounded rice from the usu and brought it to the kitchen.

After it "rested" a bit, we ate some with sweet red beans.

They send me home with a big chunk.  (I've eated it with spicy salsa, and with apples and cinnamon.) I am very thankful to have been able to take part in this Japanese tradition.  Thank you, Yumi!