-
Exploring the Fermentation Factories Aichi—Prefecture of Umami
Generations with a dream of fermentation and embracing the futureHi, I’m Drew, a fan of fermented foods. I live among the lush greenery of the Asuke area in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, where I make my own miso, natto, soy sauce, pickled plums, and other fermented foods. Come with me as we take a trek around some fermentation hot spots in the western part of Aichi’s easternmost Mikawa region.
The prefecture of Aichi in central Japan boasts a timeless tie to a rich fermented food culture. And that’s where our journey takes place. For this adventure, we set our sights on some of the fermented food factories in Western Mikawa’s cities of Okazaki and Toyota.… -
Off to Kakukyu Hatcho Miso Village:
Miso fermented for two years
in stone laden vats nearly two meters tall and wideApproximately 870 meters west of Tokugawa Ieyasu's birthplace at Okazaki Castle is Hatcho Town, Okazaki City. Kakukyu has produced miso here the traditional way since the early Edo period. Two buildings, Kakukyu and Maruya, stand on the property and their miso is said to be the origin of Hatcho Miso, one of Aichi's famous bean misos. We went to find out how this rich miso and major leg holding up Aichi's cuisine is born and how it became so popular at Kakukyu.…
-
Visiting a soy sauce brewer for a closer look at
Aichi's specialties of tamari and white soy sauceSoy sauce comes in five varieties with tamari soy sauce and white soy sauce being some of Aichi's specialties.
Tamari soy sauce is a richer version said to have come about after collecting the liquid which collected during the process of bean miso production. It has a thicker body and robust flavor which goes great with sashimi and other types of sushi.
White soy sauce, on the other hand—while not actually white but a lighter amber color—gives life to the inherent flavors of the foods with which it is used. It is said to have been born at the end of the Edo period (1603–1868) in present-day Hekinan City, and the production of the sauce continues today in the greater Mikawa region.
We took a trip out to establishments brewing these two varieties respectively to get the inside scoop.… -
MIZKAN MUSEUM—a vinegar museum along the Handa Canal offering craftsmen's brewing experiences virtually
Mizkan is Japan's leading vinegar producer and the pride of Aichi. Handa City, where the brewery was founded, is also home to MIZKAN MUSEUM, a hands-on vinegar museum. In 2024, the museum underwent renovations to incorporate digital contents for an even more entertaining experience. MIZKAN MUSEUM is split up into five exhibit zones with admission requiring advance reservation. The Full Museum Course with a guide takes you through all of the zones and is a great choice for first-time visitors.…
-
Off to a brewery brimming with the history of Aichi's sake spot Chita and a pairing of Japan's iconic spirit with local Tokoname ware
Sawada Brewery is situated along the Ise Bay in Tokoname City on the Chita Peninsula, southern Aichi. The brewery is famous for its sake brand Hakuro. Sawada Brewery was established in 1848 at the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate, and in the Meiji period invented starter cultures which would go on to be the mainstream sake production method of today. This sake producer utilizes the local climate and water, and is praised for its careful brewing process using wooden tools just as in yesteryear—so much so that it won first place at the first Aichi Prefecture Sake Brewing Competition. Sawada Brewery keeps alive the brewing methods passed down from ancient generations while offering the new idea of pairing its brews with local Tokoname pottery sake cups and spreading the word about Japanese sake in a new way.…
-
Aged amber color and a unique circular appearance–A lesson in craftsmanship in the land of Moriguchi Daikon
Aichi's traditional Moriguchi-zuke Pickles are made from the longest daikon radishes in the world, rolled round and round into a circle, slathered in sake lees and mirin lees, and certainly one of the more unique pickle varieties. Those long Moriguchi Daikon are grown on the banks of the Kiso River in Fuso Town, with Fuso Moriguchi Foods the one and only factory to produce the food. Come and take a factory tour, pick Moriguchi Daikon during the harvest season, make your own Moriguchi-zuke pickles, and shop at the attached shop. In other words, Fuso Moriguchi Foods is the perfect place to experience, taste, and get a sense of Japan's traditional technology.…
