Japan has four clear-cut seasons, which are spring, summer (high temperature and high humidity), autumn, and winter (low temperature and low humidity). Taking advantage of these characteristic seasons; especially low temperatures in winter and high temperatures with humidity in summer, quality shoyu (and miso) evolved into being the backbones of Japanese cuisine.
1. Ingredients
At YAMAKI JOZO, we use 100% Japan-grown, environmentally conscious ingredients, which are basically not treated with pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or weed killers. Japan-grown ingredients themselves are premium, and expensive compared to imported ingredients; however, we will continue to use Japan-grown ingredients to keep the true Japanese traditional taste and support local organic or sustainable farmers in Japan.
Also, water used in our products is local mountain spring water trickling from the top of the nearby mountain. This spring water is essential for creating our clear shoyu taste.
2. Traditional Slow Fermentation and Aging (Natural Brewing)
We will always follow natural and traditional methods to make our Shoyu products using cedar barrels carried over 100 years. Slow fermentation and aging in hand-crafted huge cedar barrels will give depth and nuance to shoyu (soy sauce).
