Yuasa, the birthplace of soy sauce

Found in the prefecture of Wakayama, the small town of Yuasa is the cradle of soy sauce production. At its height, Yuasa was the home of some 92 factories, but today only four remain where the true rules and traditions of the art continue to be respected. Nowadays, visitors can take tours of these factories and discover the secrets of how the famous, amber sauce is made. 

While these days soy sauce- known as shoyu– has become indispensable in Japanese cuisine, the commodity began life as a purely fortuitous discovery made by a monk who realised that the liquid produced in the manufacture of miso could be used in its own right. Since then, soy sauce has been perfected and has spread right across the Japanese archipelago. To satisfy all tastes and keep up with growing domestic and international demand, the production rate of shoyu has accelerated, with the fermentation process reduced to just a few months- unlike the usual one or two years recommended. The taste, aroma, and very experience of soy sauce have thus been altered. Fortunately, in Yuasa, an exemplary soy sauce is still produced. Traditionally made with local, natural ingredients and guaranteed to be additive-free, Yuasa soy sauce is the result of a long fermentation process during which the optimal richness of all of its aromas can be achieved. This attention to detail pays off: every year, the official Japanese ranking system rewards Yuasa’s unique quality, naming their shoyu the best soy sauce again and again and again.

To reveal the secrets of how this renowned soy sauce is produced, the Yuasa Soy Sauce Limited factory welcomes visitors to come and take a look. There, guests are introduced to the shoyu production process, and in particular the crucial stage of fermentation. In large tanks, water, soy, Tanba black beans, wheat and salt are mixed over the years to produce the soy sauce renowned as the best in Japan. Once the visit is over, visitors are invited to a tasting or to a soy sauce making workshop. Alternatively, many prefer to head straight to the shop to bring back an authentic bottle of soy sauce made in Yuasa, enriched with a variety of lighter and more pronounced flavours- and even with yuzu.