An earthquake with a seismic intensity of 7 occurred in Ishikawa on New Year’s Day, which was supposed to be peaceful.
What a start…Japan!!
I was really surprised to learn that a large earthquake occurred in Ishikawa Prefecture on the first day of this year, known as “Gantan.”
At that time, I was eating New Year’s food at my wife’s parents’ house, trying to fall asleep using a cushion as my pillow. My wife reached out with her legs and kicked me in the lower abdomen, making me jump out of my sleep. Then suddenly an earthquake hit us.
Nagoya had a seismic intensity of 4, so nothing was knocked down, but it was shaking enough to make everyone feel scared. Unfortunately, since I was so drunk, the shaking of the earthquake hit me even harder, and I felt like I had motion sickness.
As soon as I turned on the TV, I heard the terrifying voice of a female NHK announcer. “Run now! Run away without looking back! Remember the Great East Japan Earthquake! Run to the highest place possible right now!”
When I opened the window, I could hear screams coming from the house next door. The shaking was so strong that it made them scream.
Fortunately, a large and catastrophic tsunami like the one caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake did not occur and the tsunami warnings have been gradually lifted, but aftershocks continue and the situation is still unpredictable. We can only hope that those affected by the disaster can live safely and securely as soon as possible.
How I spent New Year…
Well, my annual year-end event is mochi pounding, which I am invited to by local friends every year. It is the traditional method of pounding mochi. I wonder if there are any families who really pound mochi with a pestle and mortar during the New Year. I wouldn’t be able to really feel the end of the year without this event, which gives me a valuable experience.
He was my classmate in elementary and junior high school, and every year we do mochi pounding under his grandmother’s guidance. Really with a pestle and mortar. Apparently there are mochi making machines (my parents used them), but his family has never used one. Under the supervision of his 86-year-old grandmother, mochi pounding is a grand event attended by neighborhood children and friends. She is a wrinkly grandmother who is as dignified as director Clint Eastwood, yet playful and cute. I wish I could show her to everyone. She’s so nice.
Now let’s make mochi. Traditional methods have their charm, but they always have one drawback. It’s just that it’s extremely troublesome. In the first place, the preparation before rolling out the mochi is tedious, and it is quite difficult for those who are not experienced. Once the preparation is complete, the first thing you need to do is put the steamed glutinous rice into a mortar and grind it with the tip of a pestle.
This first task was so hard that I thought I might get tendonitis. No one asked for a replacement because it was so tiring. It’s funny how everyone pretends not to know. Once that work is finished, it becomes a two-person job: one who makes the mochi, and another who flips the mochi while adding water. Both children and adults try their best to raise their hammers and pound the rice cakes with all their might.
Once completed, there will be three flavors: kinako, greens, and red bean paste. All flavors are really delicious. The green leaves are soy sauce-based, so you’ll want to eat them with alcohol, and the yellow flour and red bean paste taste like dessert. There was also plenty of mochi in the ozoni.
For me, the end of the year is spent eating mochi and having casual conversations with friends I haven’t seen in a while. My friend dutifully travels around town to deliver leftover mochi to my house.
https://youtu.be/cGeUE9KK-es They’re professional!
See you next time soon!
日本語のおまけ
ああ、なんてスタートだ日本！
平穏であるはずの元旦１月１日、午後４時１０分、石川県能登地方を震源として震度７の地震が発生しました。これにはみんな本当に驚いている。
私はその頃、妻の実家の名古屋市にてみんなで集まっておせちを食べて、お酒を飲んで眠たくなって座布団を枕にしてうたた寝していました。足を伸ばした妻に下腹部を蹴られ飛び起きると、地震が突然襲い掛かってきました。名古屋は震度４で何か物が倒れたりすることはなかったですが、みんな恐怖心を感じるには十分なくらい結構揺れました。私は情けないことに、酒を飲んで酔っ払っていたので、地震の揺れに一層やられて乗り物酔いのような状態になって気持ちが悪くなってしまいました。
すぐテレビをつけるとNHKの女性アナウンサーの鬼気迫る声が聞こえてきました。「今すぐ逃げてください！振り返ることなく逃げてください！東日本大震災を思い出してください！なるべく高いところに今すぐ逃げてください！」
窓を開けると隣の家からなのかところどころから悲鳴が聞こえてきた。悲鳴を上げるぐらい強い揺れでした。
幸いにも東日本大震災のような破滅的な大きな津波は来ず津波警報も順次解かれていますが、余震は続いておりまだまだ予断を許さない状況です。被災された方々に一刻も早く安心安全に暮らせるように願うばかりです。
さて、僕の年末の恒例行事といえば毎年地元の友達に誘われて行く、餅つきだ。それも昔ながらの伝統的方法の餅つき。正月に本当に杵と臼で餅をついている家庭なんてあるんだろうか。今や貴重ともいえる経験をさせてくれるこの行事が来なければ年末を実感することはできないだろう。
僕の友達の家はやっている。彼は小中学校の同級生で、毎年祖母の指導の下、餅つきをやっている。本当に杵と臼で。餅つき機なんてものもあるそうだけど（僕の実家は使っていた）友人一家は使ったことがないそうだ。御年８６歳になる祖母の監督の下、餅つきは近所の子供たちや仲間をよんで盛大に行われる。クリントイーストウッド監督のような威厳がありなおかつお茶目で可愛らしいお祖母ちゃんである。
さあ餅つきだ。伝統的手法には風情があるがいつもただ一つ欠点がある。それは、それがもの凄くめんどくさいという事に尽きる。そもそも餅をつきだすまでの準備がめんどくさいし、経験者じゃないとなかなか難しい。準備が終わったら最初に、蒸したもち米を臼に入れ、まず杵の先ですりつぶさないといけない。最初のこの作業が腱鞘炎になるんじゃないかと思うぐらいとてもしんどい。あまりのしんどさにだれも交代を申し出ない。みんな知らんふりを決め込むので笑えてくる。そしてその作業が終わったら餅をつく人と、餅に水を加えながらひっくり返す人の二人作業となる。子供も大人も頑張ってハンマーをふりあげて一生懸命餅をついていく。
出来上がれば、味は黄な粉と菜っ葉とあんこの三種類だ。どの味も本当においしい。菜っ葉は醬油ベースでお酒と一緒に食べたくなるし、黄な粉とあんこはデザート感覚だ。あとお雑煮にも餅をたっぷり入れていく。
餅を食べながら久しぶりに会う友人たちとなんでもない会話をダラダラと楽しんで過ごすのが私の年末です。友人は律儀にも余った餅を町中まわって家まで届けに来てくれる。
次回また会いましょう！
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