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Mochitsuki Festival welcomes new year the Japanese way
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Posted on Jan 02 2012
PDM Promoters, Inc. brought the successful 3rd Mochitsuki Festival on Saipan last Thursday, drawing hundreds of residents and tourists alike to join in the annual celebration meant to welcome the New Year the Japanese way.
Sonia Siwa of PDM Promoters, the non-profit group that hosted the event for the first time, said that the weather was perfect and the event itself coincided with the Garapan Street Market festivities, enticing more people to take part in the celebration.
The two-hour event started at 5:30pm with the process of making mochi, the Japanese rice cake made of glutinous rice, pounded into a paste with a wooden mallet in a mortar before being molded into different shapes, usually small balls, and added with different flavorings.
Local and visiting Japanese—both young and old—participated in the festival as they took turns pounding the mochi. Samples were then distributed for the spectators to taste.
The crowd was also treated to intermission numbers from the Saipan Awaodori Team and the Green Meadow School students before and after the second mochi-making at about 6:30pm.
“The weather last Thursday was really perfect for the event, which is why we had more people come to the event this year and they were happy and delighted,” Siwa told Saipan Tribune.
Siwa added that since they will be hosting the annual festival from now on, they plan to hold it along with the Garapan Street Market.
“It’s a wonderful Japanese festival that welcomes the New Year so we hope to maintain the people’s excitement every year,” said Siwa.
