Summer’s Sweet New Year: Mochi, Prairie Memories & One Cherished Aunty

Growing up on the Saskatchewan Prairies, Kiya Naka always felt the quiet magic of her family’s Japanese traditions, especially during New Year’s. Her grandparents, Tsuneo and Mitsuko (Tony and Mitsy), settled in Estevan after being displaced from internment camps, determined to build a life that blended their new home with the customs they loved.

Every year, Oshōgatsu meant reflection, joy, and gathering around symbolic dishes from Nakagama’s — jubako boxes filled with kuromame for health, kazunoko for prosperity, and mochi for longevity. The best part? Cousins dancing to Styx and Ace of Base in their grandparents’ cozy living room, surrounded by Grandma’s unforgettable wallpaper; a bold style none of the grandkids understood, but a memory of sweaty, tearful laughs they’d all love to re-live.

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This summer, Kiya’s flipping tradition on its head with a New Year’s celebration in July — the perfect excuse to pause, reflect on the year so far, and bring everyone together over homemade mochi, a sweet, chewy reminder of her roots.

And what makes it even better? Kiya’s great-auntie (obasan) is coming to visit, giving her the chance to get in the kitchen with one of the last of her grandparents’ generation — pounding mochigome rice, sharing stories, and laughing until their sides hurt. 

And one of the moments Kiya is most looking forward to? Hearing Aunty Linda’s laughter — because it sounds exactly like her Grandma Mitsy, a sound the family hasn’t heard in almost two decades, and one that will make their hearts feel full again.

For Kiya, mochi-making is now a year-round ritual — a way to honor her grandparents’ legacy, help her son feel connected to his heritage, and remind her that traditions live wherever family gathers. And when Aunty Linda is in town? The rules go out the window, and they do whatever they want!

Naka Family Mochi Recipe

Ingredients: 

Instructions:

  1. Rinse rice until water runs clear; soak overnight.
  2. Steam until soft and sticky (about 40 minutes).
  3. Pound until smooth using a mortar or mochi maker.
  4. Dust with starch, shape into small balls or discs, and enjoy fresh or put in an airtight container and freeze.

In a microwave:

  1. Cover loosely and microwave for 1 minute (it will grow large in size then shrink
  2. Drizzle with warm Kikkoman soy sauce and sugar mix (1:1 ratio)

Boiled Method:

  1. Shape mochi into discs.
  2. Simmer in a light broth (2 cups dashi or water + 1 tbsp soy sauce + 1 tsp mirin) for 3–5 minutes.
  3. Serve hot, optionally topped with green onions or nori.

Where to Find Mochi Makers: