【Report by the foreigner who knows Ayabe well.】
Name of facility : KOZO (Mulberry) MOCHI making experience Visit date : 2020/10/28 Visitor name : Nathaniel Hoy
Getting ready to make MOCHI
Ayabe is home to traditional Japanese WASHI manufactures
(Japanese paper).
Japanese WASHI is made from the plant of the KOZO plant
(mulberry tree).
When making WASHI the leaves of the KOZO plant are not used and are usually thrown away.
A group of local women thought this was a waste and experimented with different to lessen the waste.
Working together to make MOCHI
While the leaves are not normally eaten they tested a number of different preparation techniques to make them palatable.
One of the tastiest options they discovered was cooking the leaves and mixing it into the rice when making MOCHI rice balls.
Rolling the MOCHI balls
For a very unique experience that even few Japanese people have never eaten you can join this group of women while they teach you how to make KOZO MOCHI.
Making MOCHI requires two (or more) people to work together to pound the rice before it can be eaten.
In addition to getting to eat the MOCHI you make (and taking the rest home as a souvenir) you will also get to eat a delicious traditional lunch.
Delicious lunch
When I visited we had a little free time after making the MOCHI and before lunch was ready so we walked up the nearby hill and got an amazing view of the local area.
This unique experience is held at the 'Nakakanbayashi Community Center', located 25 minutes from Ayabe Station by car.
▼Click here for details of this facilityーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー
▼Visitor profileーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー
Nathaniel Hoy
From United States of America, came to Japan in 2005
He likes Japanese countryside, Japanese sake, Japanese food,
onsens and Shorinji Kempo.
His hobbies are running, reading and, Japanese sake.
