Mochi Pounding in Ginza, 2013
お正月モードは大体に成人の日まで続きますよね。今年は１月１４日までとの事。２週間も！どれだけ日本酒が飲まれるか？ええ事や！
戸倉上山田温泉では、その中間のイベントは銀座通り商店街の餅つき大会。亀清旅館は今年、初めて餅つき大会を行ったけど銀座通りの商店の皆さんの餅のイベントは５，６年ぐらい続いています。今年は１月６日に行われた。商店街の甘露煮屋さん、饅頭屋さん、味噌倉、そして通りの住んでいる皆と深い付き合い。皆が集まって餅つきを通じて交流が出来て、嬉しい。
毎年、千曲サイクリングクラブの皆さんも応援で（出来立てのお餅を食べに）来てくれます。うちの子供たち含めて、近所の皆がもちつくの体験が出来る。そして、美味しい餅を食べる。
戸倉上山田温泉の重要なイベントの一つ。来年は是非、参加しに来てください。
New Years mode here in Japan seems to last until the Coming of Age national holiday. This year, that means Monday 14-Jan, resulting in 2 full weeks of merry-making and sake-drinking.
In our onsen town Togura-Kamiyamada, one of the main events during that period is Ginza Dori's mochi-making party. We put on a mochi-pounding event here at Kamesei Ryokan this New Years, but the Ginza Dori shopping district people have been holding theirs for 5 or 6 years now. This year's took place on Sunday 06-Jan.
I personally have some pretty deep ties with the fish shop, manju sweets shop and miso-maker in Ginza-Dori, as well as many of the people living in the neighborhood. Plus the Chikuma Cycling Club members always show up to participate (and eat fresh mochi!). So it's an important community-building event for our town. And our kids and the other children around get to pound mochi with us adults, so everyone participates and everyone eats!
Next year, come and join us for the Ginza Dori mochi making party.
