Hello! This is 本然農園! On Sunday, January 7, 2024, the New Year Mochi-Pounding Event was held at the 本然農園 farm! We are truly grateful that 138 people joined us for this wonderful event.

With nearly double the turnout of last year’s Harvest Festival, we still have areas to improve as organizers. However, not only our staff but also our guests came together and volunteered to help, making everything come together beautifully. We are filled with gratitude. Thank you so much!

Pork Miso Soup Cooking (Sponsored by: tsuchinoya)

We kicked things off with cooking pork miso soup! After checking in, everyone started cooking right away! Using cutting examples as a guide, participants got to see, touch, and cook with nature’s bounty, resulting in delicious, authentic pork miso soup! Nothing beats pork miso soup in winter! It really warms you up from the inside♪

Mochi Pounding Together (With support from: Nishihara Town Tsuhanaha Community Association)

For the main event, we set up two sets of wooden mallets and mortars so everyone could take turns pounding mochi! Even the children did their best swinging the big mallets. The freshly made mochi was warm and soft, and we enjoyed it in two flavors: kinako (roasted soybean powder) and nori (seaweed). Some people were real pros at dusting on kinako or wrapping with nori, and it was a lovely moment to see the children’s hidden talents shine through^^

Yushi-Wan Grand Prix (Sponsored by: Ikeda Foods)

With the generous support of Ikeda Foods, the first-ever Yushi-Wan (Yushi Tofu x Wanko-Soba style) Grand Prix was held. Using the same system as wanko-soba, soft yushi tofu was poured into bowls one after another, and contestants competed to eat as many bowls as possible within the time limit. Ikeda Foods was also being covered by Okinawa Television, and the competition was fierce and exciting. Regardless of the results, we were so happy to hear many people say “That was delicious!” afterward! A second edition is definitely in the works^^

Potato Spoon Relay in the Potato Field

Next up was the Potato Spoon Relay, where participants split into a Green Team and a Pink Team to race while carrying potatoes on spoons. Teams relayed between the rows where potato seeds planted at the previous Christmas event were just beginning to sprout. The potatoes were quite large, so it may have been a bit tricky for the kids, but everyone did a great job carrying them!

In Closing

Although it rained a little in the morning, it cleared up by the start and we were blessed with good weather throughout the day. We hope all our participants had a wonderful time! With so many people attending, we also identified many areas for improvement, and we are committed to making our future events even better! Thank you for your continued support^^

Also, thank you to everyone who purchased products at our vendor booths. We would be thrilled if you could share your thoughts and reviews on social media♪ A portion of the event participation fees (10,000 yen) was donated to the Noto Peninsula Earthquake Disaster Relief Fund. Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake. We pray for your swift recovery and rebuilding.