Media

Japan Month at HKU 2009: Mochitsuki - Traditional Japanese Rice Cake-pounding Ceremony

17 Apr 2009

 

April is Japan Month in the School of Modern Languages and Cultures and for the first time this year the programme will include a traditional Japanese rice cake-pounding ceremony - or "mochitsuki".

During the ceremony, cooked glutinous rice will be placed in a traditional mortar and pounded with wooden mallets by three members of the Hong Kong Judo Kan. The resulting paste will then be formed into various shapes and given toppings like red bean, soy sauce, seaweed, and fresh wasabi. In addition to the rice cakes, participants will be invited to sample a variety of local Japanese snacks and tea served by traditional female Japanese Inn managers from Hokkaido, Fukushima, Kaga, Hakone, Shizuoka, Wakayama, and Hyogo.

Japan Month is one of many themed activities organised by the School of Modern Languages and Cultures, which also include Hispanic Month, German October, Thai and Swedish festival celebrations. The aim of these events is to encourage students to explore and embrace the cultural and linguistic diversity that make our world such an exciting and fascinating place, as well as to provide them with an opportunity to interact with Hong Kong's foreign diplomatic, business, and artistic communities.

The mochitsuki will be followed by a kimono workshop (for men and women) held in the University of Hong Kong's Global Lounge from 4:00 to 6:00 pm. This event is organized with the kind support of Japan Airlines International Co., Ltd., Canon Hongkong Co., Ltd, and HKU's Office of International Student Exchange.

Media are cordially invited to cover the event, details are:
Date:        April 21, 2009 (Tuesday)
Time:       12:45 pm - 2:00 pm
Venue:      Sun Yat-sen Place, The University of Hong Kong

For enquiries, please contact Ms Lucilla Cheng, School of Modern Languages and Cultures (Tel:2859 2049/E-mail:luci@hku.hk) or Ms. Joanne Yung, Manager (Media), External Relations Office (Tel: 2859 2600/E-mail:hkumedia@hku.hk).

About the School

Officially established in July 2006 as a result of the reorganization of the University of Hong Kong's Faculty of Arts, the School of Modern Languages and Cultures currently offers degree options in four area studies: American Studies, European Studies, Japanese Studies, and Modern China Studies, as well as programmes in eleven languages including Arabic, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, and Thai.