A mochi seller in Kyoto, and many of Japan’s other centuries-old businesses, have endured by putting tradition and stability over profit and growth. Mochi is usually made from sweet rice (also called Mochi rice) cooked and pounded until it becomes a paste that is very sticky and smooth, then formed into cakes or blocks. Different types of mochi have represented different things over the the history of mochi. The second part of kimochi is 持ち mochi which means to have, or to be in possession of (something). mochi has a lot of symbolism in Japanese tradition. "Moshi" actually comes from the verb mousu 申す （ ）, which is a humble form of "to say" (iu 言う （ ）).In the Edo period, it was used in normal conversation when speaking to someone of higher status. Learn more. Mochi is regularly sold and consumed around the New Year and is known as a “sign of the season” in Japan. New Year's Mochi's. Initially, the words used were moushiagemasu 申し上げます （ ）, moushimasu 申します （ ） or mousu 申す （ ）.These all mean "I'm going to say (talk)." mochi meaning: 1. a type of rice used in Japanese cooking, which is sweet with short, rounded seeds that stick…. It is often eaten in New Year’s Ozoni soup or baked with soy sauce. Hishi Mochi. Mochi definition is - a doughlike mass made from cooked and pounded glutinous rice used in Japan as an unbaked pastry. It's sticky and is a homophone for the Japanese word "to hold," contributing to the belief that mochi in the new year is good for holding on to good luck. Daifuku comes in many varieties. 14. Yaki mochi is also a play on words that can mean "jealousy" in Japanese. How Does Mochi Fit Into Japanese Society? Daifukumochi (大福餅), or Daifuku (大福) (literally “great luck”), is a Japanese confection consisting of a small round mochi (glutinous rice cake) stuffed with sweet filling, most commonly anko, sweetened red bean paste made from azuki beans. It is often presented in the form of a round cake or bun, and is traditionally exchanged at the New Year, although the popularity of the food has made it available in fresh and frozen form year-round in Japan and some other parts of the world. Around the new year, numerous mochitsuki taikai or "mochi-making competitions" are held throughout Japan, where two-person teams make mochi the traditional way. To this day, mochi is a central part of the Japanese New Year celebration, and has been since the year 794. Kagami mochi (鏡餅, "mirror rice cake"), is a traditional Japanese New Year decoration. So if you break down the word kanji by kanji, you can understand is as “to have a feeling” but as a whole the word 気持ち kimochi means feeling , or sensation . 13. Kagami mochi 「鏡餅」 is a special traditional Japanese decoration for the New Year, usually displayed inside the house in the kamidana, for Toshigami, the god of the new year, to bring good luck and prosperity in the new year. 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