2012 Annual Mochi Pounding in Kailua Hawaii 4-Man Pound.

December 2012 New Year's Japanese mochi pounding in Kailua, Oahu, Hawaii. Over 85 years (4th generation) of tradition. Featuring a 4-man pound. The usu (mortar) is carved out of Hawaiian lava rock. The kine (mallets) are made out of Hawaiian guava wood, which are hand selected and cut from a guava tree forest and seasoned for several years. The kine handles are from Japan and customized to fit the guava wood. After the pound, the handles are removed and stored separately. The steamer boxes are made from California redwood, which are soaked in water for years to remove the red coloring. The fuel is propane. We used firewood for many many years but recently switched to propane to the relief of our smoked out neighbors. The bean filling is made from organic Hokkaido azuki beans from Japan and cooked for 4+ hours. The Sho-Chiku-Bai premium mochi rice is from California's Koda Farms.