japan party

Every year when a "Let's Start Talking" mission team comes to work at the church for the summer, we host a Japanese party for them to show them what a summer festival is like. Many of us wore yukata, the summer kimono made of cotton.

We made mochi using usu (the big wooden bowl) and kine (a wooden mallet). Yuko san made a special kind of rice and added water between swings of the mallet so it wouldn't stick. She is very brave. :)

We also made takoyaki (fried octopus). Oishii!!!

Lots of kids from my kindergarten class came, and kingyo sukui (fishing for goldfish) was all they did! To their great delight, they all got to take one home in the end. :)

Some of them skipped the cup and just grabbed with their hands! :)