12/21/2010 - Col. Michael Rothstein, the 35th Fighter Wing commander, pounds mochi Dec. 16, 2010, during the annual mochi pounding ceremony at the Japan Air Self-Defense Force gym on Misawa Air Base, Japan. Mochi is a type of rice cake made by using a large wooden mallet to pound steamed glutinous rice in a large wooden mortar. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Samuel Morse)

12/21/2010 - Col. John Pearse, the 35th Operations Group commander, pounds mochi Dec. 16, 2010, during the annual mochi pounding ceremony at the Japan Air Self-Defense Force gym on Misawa Air Base, Japan. Mochi is a type of rice cake made by using a large wooden mallet to pound steamed glutinous rice in a large wooden mortar. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Samuel Morse)

12/21/2010 - Fresh mochi, a type of traditional Japanese rice cake, is sliced and sampled Dec. 16, 2010, by those attending the annual mochi pounding ceremony at the Japan Air Self-Defense Force gym on Misawa Air Base, Japan. The ceremony gave Americans a chance to experience a time-honored Japanese tradition. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Samuel Morse)

12/21/2010 - Members of Col. Michael Rothstein's family try freshly made mochi Dec. 16, 2010, during the annual mochi pounding ceremony at the Japan Air Self-Defense Force gym on Misawa Air Base, Japan. The ceremony gave Americans a chance to experience a time-honored Japanese tradition. Colonel Rothstein is the 35th Fighter Wing commander. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Samuel Morse)

12/21/2010 - American and Japanese participants eat and converse Dec. 16, 2010, during the annual mochi pounding ceremony at the Japan Air Self-Defense Force gym on Misawa Air Base, Japan. The ceremony gave Americans a chance to experience a time-honored Japanese tradition. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Samuel Morse)