Montsuki means “to grind grains. ”In the old days, when rice, wheat, millet, and other grains were pounded with a pestle, six or seven people would gather around a mortar in the yard, often in the moonlight, and pound the grains to the beat of a song. The sound of the pestle hitting the mortar, “Tonkororin,”complimented by the songs made for a wonderful accompaniment..