Members of the U.S. Air Force and Japan Air Self-Defense Force came together for an annual mochi pounding ceremony at Yokota Air Base, Japan, Dec. 14, 2023.
The event was designed to reflect the enduring friendship between the U.S. and Japan as attendees took part in the Japanese tradition of “mochitsuki,” the pounding of rice to make mochi, in the hope of gaining good fortune in the coming New Year.