Make Your Own Soy Sauce in Japan 🍶 (Factory Tour + DIY Experience)

Make Your Own Soy Sauce in Japan 🍶 (Factory Tour + DIY Experience)

[Music] whether you’re a tourist to Japan or have lived here for many years there are always interesting traditional activities to experience if you make the effort to look hopefully this video will give you a great example of this when you think of Japanese cuisine sushi ramen tempura there is one ingredient quietly working behind the scenes to bring it all together showyu or soy sauce it’s the salty savory backbone of Japanese cooking and a staple in nearly every household shoyu has a long history in Japan it was introduced from China over a thousand years ago but it really began to take on its own identity in Japan during the Kamakura period by the Edeto period regional styles had developed and soy sauce became essential to the Japanese pallet today it’s not just a seasoning it’s part of the culture there are five main types of showyu in Japan and they vary by region koi kuchi the most common type originally from the Kanto region it’s dark rich and umami packed what most people imagine when they think of soy sauce usukuchi a lighter colored soy sauce from the Kansai region despite the lighter look it’s actually saltier and used to preserve the color of ingredients like Kyoto style simmered vegetables tamari rich and thick with a strong umami punch it comes from the chubu region and is often gluten-free originally a byproduct of miso making shido a white soy sauce mainly made from wheat giving it a sweet and delicate flavor it’s popular in Kyoto and used when you want flavor without a dark color saiigi komi a double brewed soy sauce that’s darker sweeter and more intense think of it as the espresso of soy sauces used for sashimi or dipping [Music] i’ve always loved showyu and wanted to learn a bit more about it and how it’s made i did a bit of research and decided to take a weekend trip to the beautiful city of Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture of course I enjoyed the local scenery an interesting cafe [Music] a delicious dinner and relaxing onsen or hot springs but my main purpose was to visit the Magia Shoyu factory and shop magia Shoyu established in 1875 in Hamamatsu is renowned for its traditional brewing methods that produce the distinctive type of soy sauce their primary product aligns with the Koi Kuchi Shoyu the dark fullbodied soy sauce prevalent throughout Japan however Majia’s version stands out due to its artisal production process and unique flavor profile history Founded by Noer Manichi in 1875 the Majia Company has weathered everything from war to recession passing through five generations of family leadership in the early days Manichi began selling soy sauce under the name Magia officially establishing the company in 1889 after World War II Magia thrive during Japan’s western food boom expanding into sauces like tonkatu and worst sauce as well today fifth generation president Kazuhiro Nouer leads the company offering over 10 varieties of dark soy sauce each with unique flavors and aromomas they’ve also branched out into miso and natto as well and sell their products both locally and online their main brand is Yamaman and it blends the symbol for eight or yama symbolizing prosperity and man from founder Manichi a name rooted in Edeto period shop traditions and the family’s ambition to reach the top their brewing process is a craft steeped in history and flavor utilizing time-honored techniques Magia fermentss their soy sauce over extended periods allowing it to mature through natural temperature fluctuations of the seasons this process enhances the depth and complexity of the flavor mijia’s kuradashi soy sauce is crafted using chadisu a type of edamame wrapped in a thin brown skin and wheat grown on their own farm this results in a soy sauce with a mild taste natural thickness and a rich umami flavor and as an added bonus there’s a hands-on experience you can not only get a personal factory tour of their operations but also try your hand at making their very own show you to take home with you that’s what the rest of this video will be about if you’re interested in the factory tour and/or show you making experience the first thing to do is to make a reservation through their website i’ve also included the address in the comment sections below upon arrival you’ll notice the quaint gift shop where you can purchase pretty much all of their products and check in for the tour here are some shots of the factory storehouse and three detached buildings that were designated as national tangible cultural properties in Japan in 2016 the original threestory wooden brewery with cedar walls was expanded and remodeled by the third generation owner in response to the increase in soy sauce shipments from the early to midshaw period the structure of the factory includes five work areas making and preparing kji storing mash pressing pasteurizing and bottling the facto’s arrangement makes use of the building’s height differences to ensure that work proceeds efficiently and smoothly all right let’s get started on our show you making experience first we start out with being given some basic information about the process from the current manager of the company here’s some information about Showyu producers in Shizuoka Prefecture where we are today next we’re introduced to the basic ingredients of Shoyu which are wheat salt and of course soybeans and very importantly different kinds of koji a mold which is used in the fermentation process now I can’t say the technical word for it but here it is we don’t have the time to wait around for the initial stages of fermenting the soybeans so here are some examples of different stages of fermentation in the process Finally ending up with a mash that has been fermenting for a whole year while the staff are getting our experience ready we take a quick tour of the aforementioned factory [Music] first off are some ancient machinery now I may be wrong as I didn’t catch all the guide was saying but this looks like a generator or engine of some kind some more equipment that has long been retired here are some more modern storage vats along with some ancient pressing machines where the liquid show you is pressed out of the mash pressed liquid is funneled through pipes and collected here’s a storage area for more material and pressing mats some traditionally made wooden processing and storage barrels and a bit more modern pasteurizing equipment here’s the entrance to the actual production and aging area [Music] and some shots of the cool elevated bins here are some shots of the different stages of aging [Music] and some final shots of the elevated modern era i didn’t get any shots of the bottling area but of course that’s the most modern part of the production process okay now let’s get started with the hands-on experience first we put some plugs in the wooden pressing containers that will capture the pressed liquid next in goes some kind of wood spacer to make room for the pressed liquid to pull at the bottom then we cover the box with a layer of some kind of cloth to catch the pressed mash and then ladle in three scoops of one-year-old aged mash [Music] shake to evenly distribute fold over the cloth [Music] and repeat two more times now cover with a sheet of plastic wrap and place the pressing box on the top of it move the boxes onto the wooden press set up the pressing arm [Music] get a catching bowl and place it under the spout [Music] and then press away we left the plug in at first for effect but after the first pressing we removed it and retrieved the pressed show you [Music] now of course this isn’t enough show you so we repeat the process multiple times until we have a specified amount now this sure looks like showyu and you could technically use this as it is but it wouldn’t have much of a shelf life so we go on to the next step which is pasturation where we heat the liquid for about 4 minutes or so as it’s heating we get the filtering equipment ready and we wait until the temperature reaches 75° C then we pour the hot liquid carefully into the filter set up bottles in the bottling frame and pour the filtered showyu into the bottle remove the bottle choose a colored cap and cap the bottle of course you can date stamp a label so you know when it was made the product should be good for at least a year and personalize it as you wish there you go your own bottle of show you but wait you’re not finished yet we follow our host into a traditional serving room for an actual showyu tasting [Music] first you get to try your original unheated freshly pressed showyu then the pasteurized final product as well as some of Yamaman’s bestselling varieties [Music] and some tea with showyu flavored caramel and yes it’s good which was best making it was fun and tastes like showyu but the professional versions are truly much better and I dare say more tasty than huge company products you might be familiar with like Kikman sorry Kikman your product is good too of course i bought a couple of bottles to go as well well there you have it if you get the chance to stop by Shizuoka Prefecture on your trip and you love Japanese food take a half or full day trip to Hamamatsu City and experience hands-on showy making at the Mia Company you won’t regret it if you like this video please don’t forget to like subscribe and share it for more interesting tidbits from Japan [Music]

Make Your Own Soy Sauce in Japan 🍶 | Inside a 150-Year-Old Shoyu Factory 🍜

How Real Japanese Soy Sauce is Made (Factory Tour + DIY Experience)

🍶 Ever wanted to make your own soy sauce in Japan? In this video, we’ll take you on a journey to Meijiya Shoyu, a 150-year-old soy sauce brewery in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, where you can experience hands-on shoyu-making in a truly historic setting.

We’ll explore:
• The rich history of soy sauce in Japan
• A full factory tour of Meijiya, a family-run brewery since 1875
• A unique, guided shoyu-making experience—and YES, you take home your own bottle!
• Tasting different types of soy sauce, including some exclusive to Meijiya

Whether you’re a Japanese foodie 🍜, culture buff 🎎, or planning your next trip to Japan ✈️, this hidden gem in Shizuoka is worth the stop.

Meijiya also offers miso, natto, and a beautiful selection of local products at their gift shop. For the tour and DIY Experience, reservations are required, so check their website (link in comments).

#SoySauce, #JapanTravel, #Shoyu, #JapaneseFood, #FoodFactoryTour

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