Join our Japanese community here in Tucson for a mochi (rice cake) pounding and tasting festival, with taiko drumming, songs by Yuki Ibuki (from Kyoto), raffle prizes, Japanese game playing (ayatori, fukuwarai, kendama, go/igo, and hanafuda – latter taught by yours truly), and origami folding. Admission only $5, with children 5 years and under free.
Location this year is at the home of Odaiko Sonora taiko drummers, at Rhythm Industry Performance Center, 1013 S. Tyndall Avenue (2 blocks north of E. 22nd Street), west of Park Avenue.
Sponsored by the Southern AZ Japanese Cultural Coalition (of which I am the website editor, for almost 2 years ), www.southernazjapan.org.
More info about this mochituski on facebook: www.facebook.com/tucsonmochi
Happy New Year of the Sheep!
Over 350 people at today’s event, maybe more if you count the 50 volunteers who all pulled together to make this New Year’s celebration a success – the mochi cooks, the musicians & dancers, the gaming teachers, origami folders, taiko drummers, etc. What an amazing way to spread Japanese culture in the desert. Kudos to Bryan Barnes for making the wooden usu (mortar) and two kine (pounding mallets) for this yearly celebration. Thanks to all you helped and participated today. Happy New Year.
All about mochi here on this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hdu4n-cm7kU. See you tomorrow for our annual mochi pounding/making/tasting festival, plus Japanese music, games, raffle prizes.