Japan Society of Fairfield County
Oshogatsu 2005
Our event began with introductory remarks by Nina Streitfeld, President
of The Japan Society of Fairfield County, followed by greetings from the
First Selectwoman of New Canaan, Judy Neville, and greetings from Yoshihiro
Nikaido, Deputy Consul General and Director of the Japan Information Agency
at the Consulate General of Japan in New York.
Our own vice president, Noboru Uezumi, led us in a champagne toast
to the new year, the year of the rooster and the seventeenth year of
Heisei. We then enjoyed a fabulous meal prepared by Hiroyuki "James"
Nagata and his staff at the Plum Tree Restaurant (www.plumtreejapanese.com/index2.html).
Table gifts were provided by Robert Seidl, President and CEO of
Zotos International.
A superb classical Japanese dance performance was presented by Alice Kaori
McDonald. The performance was introduced by Kyoko
Ohnishi, her dance instructor. Alice's mother, Yumiko, served
as Kouken during the dance, providing the required props.
Classical Japanese dance originated on the Kabuki stage in the 16th century.
The Soke Fujima School has been a leading force within Japanese dance
and its grand masters have choreographed Kabuki and Kabuki dance-drama
for generations. Kyoko Ohnishi holds a master’s certificate from the Soke
Fujima School and gives lectures, demonstrations, and performances for educational
institutions, and teaches dance in Connecticut and New York.
FUJIMUSUME (The Wisteria Maiden) is one of the most famous
Kabuki dance-dramas. The first two of its three sections were presented.
In the first section, the Spirit of Wisteria is allowed to assume the
form of young girl. As the Wisteria Maiden, she dances with a branch
of wisteria flowers.
In the second section, she expresses her happiness and imagines how she
will look as a bride. As she prays for her dream to come true, a gong summons
her back to the spirit world, and she is transformed back into Wisteria.
Kouken transfer necessary stage props to and from the performer at the right
time on stage. Therefore Kouken must know the dance and its music, in order
to do this important duty. It requires moving about sideways as inconspicuously
as possible on the stage, so the performer would not be distracted.
Yoshiyuki Muratani and Harry Sakamaki then led us in a mochitsuki
demonstration. Mochi balls are
traditionally made for the new year from sweet rice pounded into
a smooth paste. This is done in an usu using kine (mallets). Our
usu was made from the trunk of a tree and loaned to us by the Greenwich
Japanese School. The steamed rice grains are first broken up by essentially
stirring them with the mallet head. They are then pounded to develop
the proper consistency. After pounding, the rice paste is squeezed
off into small balls. In order to prevent the rice paste from sticking
to the hands of the persons working, it is sprinkled with mochitoriko (rice)
flour. Bean paste can be rolled into the center of the mochi ball,
but ours were served with the bean paste on the side. Plain balls
were rolled in kinako, which is a mixture of sugar and ground soy bean.
It is also customary to roll 2 larger mochi balls which are stacked
with a mikan orange on top into an okazari. This is also called
a “kagami-mochi”, literally, a "mirror mochi" where village worshippers believed
that a god resides within a mirror. This looks somewhat like a snowman
and is used as an offering to remember departed relatives. Mochi
is best when fresh, and we were able to enjoy our own freshly pounded mochi
this new year.
All Photographs courtesy of Syd Greenberg
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