Come new year in neighborhoods around Japan, you’ll see steam rising, and hear wooden hammers pounding and men and women grunting and yelling.

What’s going on?

It’s a tradition to make ‘mochi,’ a rice cake produced by steaming rice, and whacking it (until your arms are sore) with giant wood mallets in a stone mortar (usu). After the rice becomes a thick doughy consistency, it is formed into balls and often stuffed with various kinds of sweet fillings.

Filmed by Patrick M. Lydon, originally published at SocieCity

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December 5, 2018