Mochikko Kiji Shokunin by Toshiba
The Succession to the First Mochi Stamper in Japan

Date：18, Dec, 2012
Investigated and Written by Misaka Youhei
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Have you ever seen people pound mochi on New Year's Day in Japan? The first three days of the year in Japan, you can easily find people pound mochi, rice cakes at a park, a plaza or a public facility. You will probably smile when you see families do it because that looks very heartwarming.

I remember my parents often took me to some neighboring festival for pounding mochi when I was in childhood.

People say that is already a Japanese New Year's tradition. On the other hand, some thought they wanted to be easy pounding rice cakes. It is so hard labor to pound mochi and you cannot easily do at home. However, fresh mochi is fascinating. Then, they invented electric mochi stampers.

Originally, there were electric machines only to pound mochi for farmers. In 1971, they made up and launched a home mochi stamper for the first time. By Toshiba, it was Mochikko.

From the year on, Mochikko has uninterruptedly been familiar in Japanese families. The brand-new Mochikko is Mochikko Kiji Shokunin. Shokunin means an artisan and Kiji means dough. Although it is Mochikko, it lets you make also elaborate bread or pizza or dough of udon not just mochi. So in a word, you can use it everyday not only New Year's Day.

After all, you should have fresh mochi when you use Mochikko. The special taste is going to make you its prisoner for sure.