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BRUCE ASATO / BASATO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Wielding their wooden mallets, Mike Kaihe, left, Keith Miyahara and Ryan Miyashiro pounded a batch of rice into mochi Sunday at the Tenrikyo Mission Headquarters of Hawaii in Nuuanu. Church members and volunteers gathered at 5:30 a.m. to steam the rice, then began pounding the rice at 7 a.m.
PAHOA, Hawaii » The Japanese New Year tradition of mochi-pounding lived on in Pahoa last week despite the threat of lava.
Saturday, a group of more than 50 members of Nikkei Jin Kai, a Japanese Buddhist association, gathered together to pound out mochi for good luck in 2015.
The annual affair has been occurring in Pahoa for decades, but with lava about a half-mile from the area’s main highway, organizers were waiting to see if and when Madame Pele would call for a change of events.
However, Craig Shimoda, president of Nikkei Jin Kai, said the affair went off without a hitch, as the leading edge of the flow had stalled just days before Christmas.
"This organization worked together and pitched in to help make it a successful event," he said.
The festivities lasted two days and three types of mochi were made with the help of members of the organization. Traditionally, the Japanese treat is made from pounding rice into chewy dough with the addition of something sweet placed inside the confection.
Some mochi was used as an offering at a temple and some was put up for sale, with all proceeds going back to Nikkei Jin Kai.
Earlier this year, when the lava began its approach from Kilauea Volcano, the group moved a lot of their items out of the town’s Young Buddhist Association hall. "We moved some items out as a precautionary measure, and then had to bring things back" for the mochi-pounding event known as Pahoa Nikkei Jin Kai Mochi Tsuki, Shimoda said.
Honolulu resident Ryan Kawamoto said he was glad to see the gathering at the hall, where it’s been for "many, many decades."
He added, "For the people of the event, it was business as usual."
Nikkei Jin Kai member Jason Hashimoto said he hopes things will go smoothly in the future.
"And hopefully we can do it there again next year," he said.
Meanwhile, the lava flow, which started in late June, continued to move sluggishly Tuesday and advanced another 40 yards.
Hawaii County Civil Defense said the front or leading edge of the lava flow was situated a half-mile upslope from the Highway 130 and Pahoa Village Road intersection and 660 yards from the Pahoa Market Place complex.
Surface breakouts and activity along both margins of the flow continued upslope of the front, but did not pose an immediate threat to area communities, county officials said.
Smoke and vog conditions were light to moderate Tuesday morning, with a light south wind blowing the particles across the entire eastern area of the island, from Puna through Hilo.
