Sunday we attended with friends Mochitsuki (mochi pounding ceremony) at a neighborhood park near Nishi Oi. Mochi is made from glutinous rice and is commonly eaten in various ways, much like westerners use crackers with a multitude of toppings. The cooked rice is pounded with a wooden mallet (kine) in a wooden mortar (usu). Two people work together. One swings the mallet, and another brave person turns and wets the “dough”, taking care not to get their hand smashed. After Ryan gave the pounding a go, Roo decided he would take a turn at the kid’s station. 
After we explained to Roo that you don’t just want to swing wildly but need to hit accurately and with a rhythm, I feared less for the brave lady turning the rice. There were a lot of "ooohhhs" & "aaahhhs" when he was at it.
On the left, mochi with kinaka (soy flour), on the right, mochi with an (sweet red bean).
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