This is one of four photos submitted by John Nishio for Discover Nikkei’s Nima-kai 2020-2021 Oshogatsu Traditions photo activity.

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The photo was taken by Shig Nishio in 1957, at our Nishio Family Mochi Tsuki, held on the Nishio Farm in Whittier, CA. The old man is Zenjiro Nishio, who emigrated to this country in 1898 and with his younger brother, Genroku, worked for the Northern Pacific RR and later the Southern Pacific RR, laying tracks with an all-issei line crew. He and his brother saved up enough money to get picture brides and married in 1906. They worked for white farmers as share-croppers, and started the first family mochi tsuki in 1912. The whole clan always showed up for mochi tsuki.

This year, we celebrated our 108th year of mochi tsuki, an unbroken string since Zenjiro and Genroku started the family tradition in 1912 with their families in Whittier.