The Japanese American community begins observing Oregon's 150th birthday with Mochitsuki 2009, a celebration of Japanese New Year traditions. "Mochitsuki," or the making of mochi, a sticky rice cake, has taken place in Oregon since the first immigrants arrived in the late 19th century. Coming together to pound steamed rice into hearty cakes gathered people from far-flung railroad and lumber camps, farms, and towns. Beginning the year with mochi symbolized both the strength of community and starting the year with a full belly.

The Portland area Japanese Americans invite the public to join in its lively annual celebration at Portland Community College Sylvania campus. In the Performing Arts Center, Mochitsuki Memories is a program of dynamic taiko drumming, Japanase folk dance, and storytelling that brings Oregon's Japanese history to life. The concurrent Cultural Fair features a community stage, displays and hands-on activities for all ages. The exuberant Asian American drum performance group, Portland Taiko and their youth group, Tanuki Taiko, will deliver heart-pounding rhythms in the Mochitsuki Memories shows at 1pm and 3:15pm.

Storyteller Alton Chung has immersed herself in letters and journals of earlier generations of Japanese Americans to develop insightful tales that will delight all. Japanese folk dance by Sahomi Tachibana's dance troupe and Fujinami-Kai will fill the stage with the flowing color of kimonos in motion.

At the Cultural Fair in the nearby College Center, Japanese American community groups will come together to showcase their culture and traditions from 11am to 3pm. Food and entertainment always go hand-in-hand at these festivals. An array of Japanese food specialties will be available for purchase and the Community Stage will feature local performers, clubs and school groups. In Japan, the New Year begins with putting brush to ink to practice calligraphy. Visitors will have a chance to try this ancient art form to write an auspicious character for the New Year, or to write their name. Hands-on opportunities compliment community organizations' informational booths. There is a suggested donation of $4 for adults, $1 for children or $10 for a family for entrance into the Cultural Fair.

At the center of the Japanese New Year celebration is mochi, a sticky rice cake. Traditionally, the rice is pounded into soft dough in a morter, the usu, with a large wooden mallet called a kine. Pounding mochi requires a team effort and timing, with one person wielding the kine and another brave person flipping over the mound of hot, steaming rice between the impacts of the mallet. Once the rice has reached a smooth, consistent texture, the dough is pinched off into individual servings and shaped into a smooth mound. Traditional mochi pounding demonstrations, accompanied with the rhythms of taiko drums, will take place at the Cultural Fair starting at 11am. Children and adults alike will have the opportunity to heft the mallet and try their hands at pounding mochi.

Now in its 13th year, Mochitsuki draws a crowd of more than 2,500 and is supported by the Portland Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League, Oregon Nikkei Endowment, Portland Taiko, Portland Community College Multicultural Center, the Japan-America Society of Oregon, Japanese Ancestral Society, and Consulate General of Japan.