The Aroma of Miyataki

From where I live in the mountains, the nearest train station, grocery store, and even convenience store are all in Yoshino Town. To get to any of those place, I drive down Nat. Hwy 169 and pass through Yoshino Town’s community of Miyataki. As I approach the large Yoshino cedar barrel on the side of the road, I always roll down my window so I can smell the sweet, delicious aroma of soy sauce being brewed.

The aroma comes from the Umetani Soy Sauce brewery in Miyataki, Yoshino Town. Their soy sauce is recognizable in this area, as I see its distinct yellow label with the characters for “Miyataki” in both household and restaurant kitchens. As soy sauce is such a fundamental ingredient in many dishes, it’s fair to say that this Umetani Soy Sauce plays a large role in local culinary traditions for a long time. Mr. Umetani is the fourth generation to run his family’s brewery, and he still brews their famous soy sauce the old-fashioned way here in Yoshino cedar barrels.

Mr. Umetani gave me a personal introduction of the wide variety of soy sauces they offer. In addition to the familiar yellow label, they have lighter and stronger flavors, as well as dipping broths for noodles and ponzu for when eating from a large hot pot. Mr. Umetani seemed most proud of their strong-flavored, natural soy sauce, so I decided to buy a bottle to take home.

It is autumn, and prime “mochi-maki” season. It is a season when many festivals end with the custom of tossing mochi into the air for people to catch or gather and take home. As a result, my freezer is full of mochi. I de-frosted a few, baked them in my oven, and dripped a bit of the strong-flavored, natural soy sauce over them. The flavor itself was warm, not too strong, and it was so delicious that I almost wanted to drink it.  Living here in the mountains, surrounded by cedar trees, it is nice to know that this rich flavor comes from the hard work of many local people across a variety of industries, going back many generations. I can eat this mochi with soy sauce everyday, which might make my freezer a little easier to organize.

Are you interested in learning about making soy sauce? We offer experiences that allow you to see first-hand how soy sauce is made, being wrapped in the aroma of the brewery, and having a chance to taste it fresh.

Tasting Tour: Soy Sauce and Tofu in Gose (Local Food Experience)

See Organic Soy Sauce Made by a Woman Master Brewer