Hey everyone! It’s Zundamon, nanoda!
Today, Monday, September 21st, 2026, is Respect for the Aged Day, nanoda.
And this year, we have a surprise 5-day weekend, from Saturday the 19th to Wednesday the 23rd (Autumnal Equinox Day), nanoda.
That’s because Tuesday the 22nd becomes a “Citizen’s Holiday,” nanoda. Apparently, it’s been 11 years since the dates lined up like this in September. That’s amazing, nanoda!
So, on the first day of this long weekend, I went with Zunko-sama to deliver some zunda mochi to a grandma who lives nearby, nanoda🍡
🎌 What kind of day is Respect for the Aged Day, nanoda?
Respect for the Aged Day is on the third Monday of September, nanoda. So the date changes every year, nanoda.
Here’s the story of how it started, nanoda.
- They say it all began in 1947 with a gathering in a small village in Hyogo Prefecture, nanoda.
- What was called “Old Folks’ Day” gradually spread, and in 1966 it became the national holiday “Respect for the Aged Day”, nanoda (back then it was on September 15th, nanoda).
- It changed to the current third Monday of September in 2003, nanoda.
Zunko-sama: “Something that started as a small village gathering became a holiday for the whole country. It’s a lovely story, isn’t it?”
Yeah. I think so too, nanoda💚
“A day to listen to the stories of those who have lived a long time”… Thinking about it that way makes me sit up a little straighter, nanoda.
🍡 I delivered the zunda mochi on her veranda, nanoda
The grandma’s house is about a 10-minute walk from here, nanoda.
When I rang the doorbell, a slow voice answered “Yes, yes” from the direction of the veranda, nanoda.
Me: “It’s Respect for the Aged Day, nanoda! I made some zunda mochi, nanoda!”
Grandma: “Oh my. I saw a little green guest had arrived, and with zunda mochi, too.”
She let me sit on the sunny veranda, and I handed her the plate, nanoda.
The moment I took off the lid, her eyes went a little wide, nanoda.
Grandma: “My, they’re quite small, aren’t they?”
Me: “That’s the special part, nanoda!”
That’s right, nanoda. Today’s zunda mochi were made much smaller than usual, nanoda.
🥣 My special tricks for soft zunda mochi, nanoda
This is the recipe I came up with after talking it over with Zunko-sama, so that older people can enjoy it, nanoda.
I didn’t do anything difficult, nanoda.
Ingredients
- Shiratama-ko (sweet rice flour)
- Water
- Zunda paste
- Warm tea (this is important too, nanoda)
To learn how to make the zunda paste, check out Zunko-sama’s A Serious Zunda Paste Basics Course: Made with In-Season Edamame, nanoda.
Carefully removing the thin skins makes the texture much smoother, nanoda.
Instructions
- Add water to the shiratama-ko a little at a time and knead until it’s as soft as an earlobe, nanoda.
- Roll it into balls about half the usual size, nanoda. A bite-sized portion, nanoda.
- Boil them in plenty of water, and wait just a little longer after they float to the top, nanoda.
- Transfer them to cold water, then drain them thoroughly, nanoda.
- Gently coat them with the smooth zunda paste, and you’re done, nanoda!
Things I was careful about, nanoda
- Roll them small… They say it’s safer to make them a size you can eat in one bite, nanoda.
- Make the zunda paste smooth… Removing the thin skins makes it go down easier, nanoda.
- Serve with warm tea… This is so they eat slowly, a little at a time, nanoda.
- Eat together with them… Zunko-sama said this is the most important part, nanoda.
Zunko-sama: “You know, mochi can be dangerous for people of any age if they eat it too quickly. Small, slow, and with someone else. As long as you follow those rules, the rest is just a fun time.”
I see, nanoda.
‘Being careful’ isn’t about taking something away, it’s about eating together, nanoda💚
🫖 And then she taught me something, nanoda
While we were drinking tea, the grandma told me a story from the old days, nanoda.
Grandma: “A long time ago, you know, all zunda was made in a suribachi.”
A suribachi! Not a machine?!
Grandma: “We’d boil the edamame in the morning, and everyone in the house would take turns grinding with the pestle. It was the children’s job, you see.”
Me: “Wasn’t that a lot of work, nanoda?”
Grandma: “Oh, it was. But it goes quickly when everyone does it together.”
And then the grandma took a real suribachi out of her closet for me, nanoda.
It was bigger than my whole body, nanoda. And so heavy, nanoda.
Grandma: “Our family liked it when there were still a few bits of bean left in it.”
Me: “I get it, nanoda! The little chunks make it feel like real zunda, nanoda!”
When I said, “I want to try, nanoda!” the grandma laughed and let me hold the pestle, nanoda.
…My arms were shaking after just 5 minutes, nanoda.
Grandma: “Hee hee. You’ve still got a ways to go.”
How frustrating, nanoda. But it was so much fun, nanoda.
I thought I was going there to teach her something, but I came back having learned everything myself, nanoda.
💚 Today’s summary, nanoda
- Respect for the Aged Day in 2026 is Monday, September 21st. It’s the third Monday of September, nanoda.
- They say it started with a gathering in a small village in Hyogo Prefecture, nanoda.
- The tricks for making it soft are using “shiratama-ko” and “rolling it small,” nanoda.
- For the zunda paste, remove the thin skins to make it smooth, nanoda.
- The best way to eat it is small, slow, and with someone else, nanoda.
- The time spent listening to her stories was an even better gift than the mochi, nanoda.
On the way home, Zunko-sama said something quietly, nanoda.
Zunko-sama: “Zunda mochi… it seems it’s not just the recipe that gets passed down, but the memories, too.”
That’s right, nanoda. What I brought home today was the weight of the suribachi, my shaky arms, and the sound of the grandma’s laughter, nanoda💚
You can learn about Zunko-sama, who went with me, on the Tohoku Zunko page, and about me on the Zundamon page, nanoda.
Everyone should try calling their grandpa or grandma today, nanoda. Even without zunda mochi, just the sound of your voice is enough of a gift, nanoda.
If you took some other kind of treat, let me know on X at @zunda_union, nanoda.
This was Zundamon, nanoda~!🍡