Denver Buddhist Temple Volunteers Prepare Mochi for Cherry Blossom Festival

Volunteers at the Denver Buddhist Temple are busy sculpting balls of mochi for the upcoming 50th Denver Cherry Blossom Festival, featuring thousands of traditional Japanese mochi manju. Despite the possibility of experimenting with different fillings, the tradition has stayed true to its roots with sweet bean paste. The annual tradition dates back to the 1970s, with the responsibility of making mochi manju passed down through generations. The volunteers, who have grown up in the temple, now take pride in passing on their knowledge and skills to the younger members as they prepare for the festival.