What comes to your mind when you think of Mochi? You may think of Japanese culture, or you may even think of nothing at all. However, when I think of Mochi, I think of a tradition that helped me to find my identity. I had never felt connected to my Japanese identity. After all, I did not speak or understand Japanese and I had never even been to Japan. Several times people would ask me, “Hey you’re Japanese right,” as they pointed to writing in symbols that were as unreadable as hieroglyphics to me, “Can you read this?” “Um...no, I can’t read characters,” I would respond time and time again. However, I still identify myself as Japanese. One major event in which I had found my Japanese identity was when I began to go to my Japanese side of the …show more content…
The Mochi making had been signaled. But what is Mochi, you may ask. Mochi is a Japanese rice cake made by pounding rice and folding it into dumpling-like shapes. Mochi is a tradition that is greatly treasured during this reunion. As people arrive, they take part of this beloved tradition by helping prepare and create this delicious food. Our family ranges from toddlers to elderly folks. The older people teach the younger kids the tradition of making Mochi, and the kids bring their friends who learn the process as well. I once brought my friend Kylie from my soccer team and she enjoyed it so much that now she comes with us every year. Mochi is a food, but we often use it as a basketball and a baseball. My cousins typically bring baseball bats and we use plates as bases as we run around the church. Kylie and I often play basketball with a giant Mochi ball, and the basketball courts outside. Mochi making is a big part of this reunion, but another part of Japanese culture we honor is eating traditional food for lunch. Several people volunteer to make prepare food such as several types of chicken, white rice, salad, and several dessert items like cookies and jello. “A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.”