Midnight in Broad Daylight: A Japanese American Family Caught Between Two Worlds

by Pamela Rotner Sakamoto

After Christmas, Kinu began pounding and molding glutinous mochi (rice cakes), symbolizing strength and purity. She set aside most of the cakes for meals, but stacked two large round ones, topping them with a tangerine, to form a kagami mochi decoration, which represented the family’s hope for a fruitful new year. Cutting pine branches and bamboo, Kinu set a shōchikubai (pine-bamboo-plum blossom) arrangement, embodying discipline and endurance, on the front stoop. She placed a small dish of salt at the entrance to symbolize purity, imbuing every tradition with hope. On New Year’s Eve, Kinu served a late supper of boiled soba (buckwheat) noodles to dip in a soy broth. As the family slurped the salty noodles, Kinu stood satisfied: the noodles’ length signified longevity, an appropriate ritual for crossing over into a new year. Surely, she had covered every base, ensuring her family’s safety, prosperity, and welfare.