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1
Combine the mochigome and regular short-grain rice in a ratio of 70:30 by weight. Rinse together until the water runs clear, then cook by the absorption method as one would cook standard Japanese rice. The cooked grains should be fully tender and slightly translucent at the edges.
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2
While the rice is still hot, transfer it to a wide bowl or wooden tub. Using a dampened pestle, rice paddle, or the back of a wet spoon, pound and fold the mass until approximately half the grains are fully mashed and the mixture coheres as a single pliable mass; the remaining grains should remain visible and intact. This is the semi-mochi state — the point at which the dish lives or dies. Stop here: a fully smooth paste is mochi, not ohagi; a loosely mashed mass will not hold its shape when coated.
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3
With dampened hands, divide and shape the warm semi-mochi into oval or round balls of approximately 40 g each. Work quickly — the mass firms and loses workability as it cools. Have all coating components portioned and ready before this step begins.
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4
For anko-coated ohagi: portion the cold anko into thin sheets on individual squares of plastic wrap. Place one warm rice ball at the centre of each sheet, then lift the wrap to press the anko evenly around the ball, forming a smooth outer shell of uniform thickness. The finished surface should be taut and unbroken, with no rice visible through the anko.
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5
For kinako-coated ohagi: mix kinako, icing sugar, and fine salt in the ratio 3:1:0.05 until fully combined. Roll each shaped rice ball in the mixture to coat on all sides. The coating should cling evenly and read as sweet rather than savoury — taste the mixture before use and adjust sugar if necessary.
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6
Arrange the finished ohagi on a tray at room temperature. Serve within two hours of shaping. The correct finished texture is a yielding, slightly chewy rice centre against a soft, sweet exterior coating — the interplay between the two is the defining sensory character of the confection.