The Power of Mochi: Japanese Tradition Coloring the New Year
- Hiragana Times
- Dec 19, 2024
The Power of Mochi: Japanese Tradition Coloring the New Year | 餅の力:新年を彩る日本の伝統
[Japan Savvy – January 2025 Issue]
Mochi, made from glutinous rice and characterized by a chewy texture, is an essential food for the Japanese New Year. In particular, mochi pounding, where family, friends, and community members work together to make mochi, has played an important role in strengthening bonds among people.
もち米から作られ、もちもちとした食感の餅は、日本のお正月に欠かせない食べ物です。特に家族や友人、地域の人々が力を合わせて行う餅つきは、人と人との絆を深める重要な役割を果たしてきました。
The kanji for “mochi” (餅) means “baked food made from flour” in Chinese. It is believed that this kanji was adopted for the Yamato kotoba (ancient Japanese language) word “mochi” due to its similar appearance.
「餅」という漢字は、中国語では「小麦粉で作った焼き物」を意味します。見た目が似ていたことから、大和言葉の「もち」にこの漢字が当てられたと考えられます。
There are several theories about the origin of the Japanese word “mochi.” One theory suggests that the word “mochiii,” a portable rice dish similar to “hoshiii” (dried rice), that was used as preserved food, eventually evolved into “mochi.”
日本語の「もち」の語源にはいくつかの説があります。保存食としての「干し飯[ほしいひ]」と同じく携帯できる飯である「もちいひ」が「もち」になった説。
Another theory is that the word originated from its value as a food that could be stored for a long time, referred to as “nagamochi” (lasting a long time). There is also a theory that it derives from “百道 (mochi),” meaning “a hundred lessons.”
長期間保存でき「長持ち」する食べ物として重宝されたことに由来する説。さらには、「百の教え」という意味の「百道(もち)」に由来するという説まであります。
Because mochi is made by layering numerous grains of sacred rice, it has long been cherished as an offering to the gods.
餅は神聖な米を何粒も重ねて作られることから、古くより神様への供え物として大切にされてきました。
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