NEWS

First Miso-Making Workshop: "31 (Miso Hajimemashita)" Held

Update: June 2, 2026

On May 30, the first Miso-Making Workshop: "31 (Miso Hajimemashita)" was held at Wisteria Hall on the first floor of Maple House and Momi House.

A New Tradition leading up to the Annual Mochitsuki Festival

Every winter, ICU's traditional Mochitsuki (mochi pounding) festival brings together current students, former residents, faculty, and staff in a lively celebration. Inspired by the idea of making the miso used in the pork soup served at the festival from scratch, a new project was launched: "31 (Miso Hajimemashita)." The project's name is inspired by ICU's 31 majors. It combines miso (from sanju, "thirty") and hajime ("one" or "beginning"), while also playing on the Japanese expression kotohajime ("the start of a new undertaking").

Approximately 30 students, faculty, and staff participated in the event, working in six groups. Surrounded by the gentle aroma of soybeans, participants tackled the unfamiliar process of making miso through trial and error. By helping one another and interacting across generations, everyone enjoyed the preparation process.

One of the workshop's highlights was that each group used a different type of koji culture starter to make its miso. At the end of the session, each group gave its batch an original name, reflecting the care they had put into it.

The barrels of miso prepared during the workshop were taken home by representatives of each group, who will carefully monitor the fermentation process over the coming months. On the day before the Mochitsuki Festival, participants will gather to open the barrels and compare the flavors of the different misos that have developed from the same soybeans! Excitement is already building to see how each batch evolves into its own distinctive taste.

Working together to prepare the miso and eagerly awaiting the finished product is all part of the experience. As the miso matures, so too will the anticipation and memories shared among participants, making this winter's Mochitsuki Festival even warmer and more delicious. This project will continue in the future as an initiative connected to the annual festival.