IN PICTURES – An air of Japan in Javron-les-Chapelles thanks to the EYN association

Javron-les-Chapelles or Japon les Chapelles? The question deserved to be asked this weekend. The EYN association, a new association ofdedicated to Japanese culture, art and ecology, launched its activities. The first class was dedicated to making Japanese mochi, a dish made from sticky rice.

And the visitors were delighted “That’s all we’re looking for at the moment, explains this father, came with his three children. Authenticity, which we share around things that we do not know too much, that we are not used to doing.

homemade tools

At the origin of the association, Clara, originally from Rouen, and Yui, born in Japan. The latter, moreover, himself made the Usu (the mortar) and the kine (the hammer), which are used to pound rice to make sticky rice. “At first, it was to show our daughter how to make mochi, then we thought why not share it with others?” explains the couple.

Each in turn, those registered for the activity were able to hit the dough with the mortar. “When you’re upset, it must be pleasant, it lets off steam “, laughs Laurette, very curious about how mochi is made. Then the rice dough will be rolled with cornstarch into a ball. Mochi can be eaten in a savory or sweet dish.

Normans who arrived somewhat by chance in Mayenne

The two creators of the association, Clara and Yui, arrived somewhat by chance in Mayenne. They lived in Rouen with their daughter when the Lubrizol factory fire in 2019 turned everything upside down. “It’s a shock to wake up with a huge black cloud above your head without knowing what you’re breathing, Clara explains. We had our daughter who was only two years old at the time. We really didn’t want to take the slightest risk to his health. He left the same day with a small suitcase and everything was done in stride.”

This couple’s dream

But where to settle when you make such a sudden decision ? The couple finally landed in Gesvres, in Mayenne. They lived there for two years in a yurt “We love Mayenne, explains Yui, We are in nature. “ For years, the couple wanted to launch an association on Japanese culture, art and ecology.

The two lovebirds therefore bought this farmhouse in October in Javron-les-Chapelles and they started. “The idea is to have a natural setting where people can come and discover lots of things.” develops Clara. In any case, the first workshop was a success. Both classes, Saturday and Sunday, were full. More than 40 people came to learn this typical Japanese dish, right in the middle of the Mayenne countryside. Subsequently, Clara and Yui would like set up guest roomsand create a concert hall in the barn.