WIT Life #91: More than just mochi
Anecdote Article, Translating/Interpreting, WIT Life 
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WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
I have already written about my obsession with Kansai Yamato, an amazing mochi maker located in Honolulu’s Ala Moana mall. I am lucky enough to be back in Hawaii with my current group (someone up there likes me!), so of course I had to pay a visit as soon as I got into town. As the shelves were fully stocked, I was able to find some items I had not seen before. In addition to the wide variety of mochi, they had some other goodies like the kabocha bread in the picture on the right. As a huge pumpkin fan, I had to try it. I was expecting something along the lines of Japan’s mushi pan (steamed bread), but it was more substantial, similar to the consistency of a moist muffin (shittori shite iru). These two large piec
es cost $2.99 plus tax, well worth the price.
Aside from getting some of the unusual flavors that I come to Kansai Yamato for (peanut butter & chocolate, Oreo, etc.), I got a mochi sampler ($3.99 plus tax) that included a variety of types. Shown on the left, it is comprised of (from top left clockwise) peanut butter, Okinawan sweet potato, kinako with red bean paste and what is labeled as honeydew (though it’s not very green in color). Clearly my sweet tooth will be satisfied for the next few days…
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