The Japan-America Society of North Carolina is pleased to announce that we are now offering monthly Ouchigohan (Japanese home cooking) online classes in conjunction with Table For Two USA, other Japan-America Societies across the country, and JETAA.

September Ouchigohan: Otsukimi Meatballs, Okura Pickles, and Mitarashi Dango

When: Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026 at 5:00-6:30 PM ET (4PM CST)

 

​Cost:

JAS/JS/JETAA Members - $10

Non-Members - $15 
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JASNC Members please use discount code: CAROLINA​​

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The theme for this month will be "Otsukimi - お月見" where we’ll be making :

- Otsukimi Meatballs

- Okura Pickles

- Mitarashi Dango​

 

JASNC members, or members of other Japan-America/Japan Societies receive a $5 registration discount. 

 

お月見 (Otsukimi), literally meaning “moon viewing,” is a celebration that honors the autumn harvest moon, historically believed to be the most beautiful of the year.

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Traditionally held on the 15th night of the eighth month of the old Japanese lunar calendar, otsukimi now falls on a varying date in September or October according to the modern calendar.

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In Japanese folklore, a rabbit lives on the moon, endlessly pounding rice into soft, chewy mochi with a wooden mallet. This image—rather than the “man in the moon”—has shaped the way generations of children and adults imagine the night sky. The rabbit and mochi connection also influences the treats eaten during otsukimi: tsukimi dango, small white rice dumplings stacked in a pyramid, are offered to the moon to pray for a good harvest and prosperity.

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The cooking portion of the class will be taught by Debra Samuels, lead curriculum and recipe developer for Wa‑Shokuiku, a program of Table for Two. Debra is the author of two cookbooks and the 2020 recipient of the John E. Thayer III Award for Outstanding Contributions to Cultural Exchange Between the United States and Japan.

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Advance ticket purchase required. One registration per family.  Members of other Japan/Japan America Societies—please enter your society’s discount code at checkout for member pricing.  JASNC Members please use discount code: CAROLINA