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January- New Years
New Years is the biggest celebration in Japan and at the ELC. January is Japanese Culture month at the ELC with activities ranging from creating kites, to playing shuttlecock, card and dice games, to playing with Japanese toys.  Some of the cooking we do includes onigiri, yakisoba and sushi.  On the playground, our playground teacher introduces the hagoita paddle and also shows children Sumo moves.

Our house corners become Japanese homes complete with Japanese Kimono, geta slippers, Japanese food and tatami mats.

Omochi  is a traditional New Year’s food.  Local residents volunteer their time and expertise to teach us Omochi pounding.  A huge usu (wooden barrel) is filled with special mochigomei  (special rice) that is pounded using a kine (wooden mallet). The local residents pound first then our ELC helpers, who wear their Japanese Hapi coats, give it the finishing pounds until it is ready to be eaten with nori (seaweed) or sweet bean paste.

Prior to the special day, classes cook a different omochi in a toaster oven.  They learn about the different tastes of shoyu with nori, and sweet bean paste with omochi.  We also read stories like Omusubi Kororin, and Nezumi No Sumo about Omochi Pounding.