Upcoming events and festivals! Japanese culture, kimono, tea ceremony, ikebana, Japanese traditional dancing, Japanese food, sake, green tea, etc. Go out in your kimono!

Nikkei Mochitsuki
Friday, December 29, 2023 | 11am - 3pm | FREE Admission
A traditional year-end activity, mochitsuki (mochi pounding)is when the community comes together to make glutinous rice cakes the old-fashioned way: with a hollowed-out tree trunk and wooden mallet.

Whether mochitsuki is a tradition in your own family, or you're completely new to Japanese cultural experiences, we invite the public to come join in this experience together. Watch the pros hammer away, and try your out your own hand at turning rice into sticky irresistible mochi. The event features a demonstration by the Vancouver Japanese Gardeners Association.

Can I buy mochi?
Yes, you can.

The NNMCC Auxiliary will be selling fresh and frozen handmade mochi.

A plate of fresh mochi (3pc.) - $5
A 1lb. bag of mochi to take home  - $10

How to Eat Mochi

Mochi cakes can be toasted and eaten with soy sauce and seaweed or with condiments, such as cooked sweet beans, roasted soy flour, soy sauce and grated ginger, or grated daikon radish. Several of these are available in the Ellipse Lobby near the mochi sales table. If you purchase a plate of mochi, you can watch and ask others about how they eat their rice cakes.

Enjoy your food in the Events Hall where tables and chairs are provided for your comfort.

If you purchase a packet to take home, you might try toasting mochi in a Teflon frying pan. This has the same effect as toasting marshmallows as it makes the mochi softer and tastier. They're no good if they get cold and hard.

Fortunately, a microwave oven is good for toasting mochi even straight from the freezer. Place the cakes on a plate and keep a close watch as it doesn't take long for the microwave to make them sticky. Start with 15 seconds and increase the time as required. Eat with condiments or in a traditional Japanese New Year's soup, ozoni.

Presented in collaboration with the Vancouver Japanese Gardeners Association and NNMCC Auxiliary.