Issues Horizons a ;ournaL of internationaL cuLture and redearch 2005 VoLume XIII Published by the Board of Student Publications Kapiolani Community College 4303 Diamond Head Road, Honolulu, Hawaii 96816 2 Thank You to the instructors who encouraged their stu­ dents to submit their work to this publication and to the students who took the time to submit their papers and provided photographs. JuLia Uyeda, Editor Berkeley Fowfetj Layout Dud tin McDunn, Adruor 3 Table of Contents 5 Erin Yamane 57 William Lee 11 Randy Rivera 61 Michelle Low 14 Clint Kaneoka 66 Janice Nkatani 18 Shelbi Jim On 69 Jackie Pascuala 23 Mary Hannah 28 Oi Fukuki 33 Keri L. Engen 38 Grace Dumlau 42 Jaclyn Doi 46 Ka Lee Chan 50 Raymond Acosta 55 Annie Kwan 4 Traditional Mochitsuki In ancient days, the seiro was made with either pegs or dovetailed joints and no metal was used. Our seiro was made the old fashioned way. However, nowadays, it is more common to find them made with nails. Erin Yan1ane The topic of my individual field study report is traditional followed their traditions just as they had at home in Japan, only Japanese customs . Specifically, my study will focus on the old now, they were immigrants ' in Hawaii. Now, their traditions were Japanese tradition of mochitsuki (mochi pounding). This topic more meaningful to them. The whole plantation village would is of great importance to me for two reasons. First, my father gather to pound mochi. introduced this tradition to our family, because he wanted to teach his children about their Japanese culture. Second, it was In modern day Japan, traditional mochitsuki is less my paternal grandmother's wish before she passed away that common. However, there are some folks who still make their we, as a family, continue the tradition of making mochi (rice mochi by pounding it the old fashioned way. Otherwise, most cake) the old fashioned way. of the New Year mochi consumed these days are produced by the easier to use, electric mochi making machines. Today, In ancient Japan, rice was a special valuable food the custom of mochitsuki is carried on mostly in the temples, used only for special occasions and holidays. Typically, rice shrines, and in a few homes. Mochitsuki and other Japanese was offered as one of the first crops to the Gods. The Japanese customs are important to defining one 's identity, and should be believe that rice is the gift of the Gods, and making mochi is preserved . a way to celebrate the harvest and to welcome the New Year. In Shinto religion, they believed that one grain of rice was one The information for my study was gathered in a few tamashi (human soul), and when it was pounded, the rice cakes different ways. I researched through books to get the general represented millions of souls (Urata 1). When pounding the rice, information, but the majority of my knowledge and study of this each person could reflect on the God 's blessings and events of topic has come through the observation of my family members the previous year. Thus, pounding and handling the rice was a over years and years of which we celebrated this special self-purifying and self-reflecting act. day at our family home. We have been pounding mochi for approximately twenty-five years. It all began when my father Mochi , or rice cake, is essential to the Japanese took an interest in learning more about his Japanese heritage Oshogatsu (New Year 's celebration). The Japanese see the and about making mochi the traditional Japanese way. He did New Year as the opportunity to begin the year with a "clean slate" some research to find out what equipment he would need to (De Francis 18). It is believed that the fresh soul of a Kami (Gods) practice this tradition , then he scheduled a trip to Osaka, Japan would descend only to a clean place if summoned by a pure where my maternal grandfather's friend helped my father find all heart (Mochinaga Brandon & Stephan 17). Therefore, debts are the necessary equipment. My brother and I joined my parents paid , quarrels are settled, homes are cleaned, baths are taken, on this fun trip to Japan. Coincidentally, my father 's friend in and new clothing is worn for the occasion. Hawaii had an usu (mortars made from a wood stump, stone or concrete forms) which he was either going to throw away or use The old Japanese tradition of pounding steamed as a planter. He happily gave it to my father. We still use that usu mochigome (sweet glutinous rice) is called mochitsuki (mochi making today during mochitsuki. event). In earlier times, both in Japan and in the Japanese-American communities, friends and family would gather together to pound the We were now ready to have our first mochitsuki. mochi for the coming New Year. Mochitsuki is an all day event, which Mochitsuki begins the day before the event with the washing requires many hands, long hours, and hard physical labor. Despite of the mochigome. Everyone, including my children participate the hard work, it is also a fun time of fellowship. in the washing of the rice as it is believed to bring good luck in the New Year. The washed rice is soaked over night in large Issei (the first Japanese immigrants) to Hawaii brought containers. Early the next morning the usu is scrubbed clean their traditions with them when they came to the islands. They and the kine (wooden mallet) and seiro (wooden steaming 5 frames) are soaked in water to prevent the pounded rice from plain mochi fried , with kinako (toasted soybean flour) and sugar sticking to it. The mochigome is now ready to be steamed in the sprinkled on top. seiro, which is lined with a bamboo mat. My family also lines the seiro with cheese-cloth, so that the rice does not stick to the One of the main difficulties we face in Hawaii to keep seiro and it is easier to transfer it into the usu. Three or four seiro this tradition alive is the availability of the proper equipment. are stacked one on top of the other and placed over a kettle of Since so few people still pound mochi the old way, it is difficult to boiling water. In ancient days, the seiro was made with either find a replacement for necessary tools like the kine. Some of the pegs or dovetailed joints and no metal was used. Our seiro was kine my family uses are over fifteen years old. Last year, I had a made the old fashioned way. However, nowadays, it is more difficult time locating a place in Japan that sells the equipment. common to find them made with nails. Sadly, because mochitsuki is being done less frequently in Japan, the equipment is harder to find . When I finally found a Before the first batch of rice is ready, hot water is poured shop , the owner was so surprised and elated to hear that we into the usu to prevent the mochigome from sticking to it. When continue this tradition in Hawaii. the elders think the seiro nearest the kettle is ready, they will lift the top two seiro and someone will check the mochigome to see While mochi is an important part of Japanese culture if it is ready by feeling the texture of a grain of rice. If it is soft and tradition , making mochi is the most valuable part of the to the touch , it is cooked and ready to be placed in the warmed tradition. It brings families and friends together, and it helps to usu. The hot water is dumped out of the usu and the cooked remind everyone to honor the elders in their family and remember mochigome is placed in it. A fresh seiro is then placed on top their ancestors. Although there are electric mochi makers, the of the stack and the steaming continues while the other batch mochi is not appreciated as much as when it is made the old is being pounded. Using the kine , two people mash the rice in way by the hands of friends and family. As my father's friend the usu until it forms a single mass. The hot steamed rice is then says, "Machi made the old way tastes much better than if it were pounded with the kine. One or sometimes two people alternately made by machine. The love and labor put into making the mochi swing the kine downward, with a lot of force and enthusiasm and comes out in its taste. " sometimes to the beat of the music. The strike of the kine must be precise or else the kine will hit the side of the usu causing The plain round mochi is also used as a household small wooden splinters to become embedded in the rice. Another decoration for New Year's called "kagami-mochi" (mirror rice essential participant in the pounding is the experienced mixer cakes). This mochi decoration is constructed of two rounded who quickly darts his or her hand into the usu and turns the cakes stacked one on the other and topped with a mikan rice between the pounding. Since the inochigome is so hot, the (mandarin orange). This is then put on top a gohei (sheet of turner is constantly dipping his hand in water not only to cool his white paper) which signifies purity, and then laid on a small burning hands but to make sure the mochi doesn't stick to the sanbo (raised tray).