Takasaki Soy Sauce is a traditional soy sauce made using soybeans and wheat from Takasaki and prepared according to time-honored methods. It is slowly fermented and aged in large cedar barrels, allowing its rich aroma, deep flavor, and mellow umami to develop naturally.
Careful attention is given not only to the quality of the ingredients and production process, but also to creating a soy sauce that consumers can enjoy with confidence.
The three basic ingredients of soy sauce are soybeans, wheat, and salt. Takasaki Soy Sauce places particular emphasis on its soybeans and wheat, using 100% domestically produced organic soybeans and organic wheat.
Microorganisms are added to the soybeans and wheat, which are then fermented and aged slowly over time. This process brings out the natural umami of the ingredients and creates a well-rounded flavor.
One of the defining features of Takasaki Soy Sauce is its traditional fermentation process using wooden barrels. Inside large cedar barrels, the soy sauce is fermented and aged slowly, allowing its characteristic aroma and umami to develop gradually.
By preserving the traditional method of allowing considerable time and care from preparation through aging, the makers create a soy sauce with a rich and complex depth of flavor.
The prepared soy sauce is fermented and aged for more than one year. Slowly developing alongside the changing climate of the four seasons allows the aroma, umami, and overall flavor to come together in harmony.
Rather than being produced quickly, the soy sauce is given plenty of time to ferment and mature. This patient approach is one of the defining appeals of traditional Japanese soy sauce brewing.
The history of Oka Naosaburo Shoten, the brewery behind Takasaki Soy Sauce, dates back to 1787. Its origins can be traced to Chubei Oka, who established a soy sauce brewing business under the name “Kawachiya” in what is now the Omama area of Gunma Prefecture.
Omama prospered as an important point along the route used to transport copper from the Ashio Copper Mine to Edo, present-day Tokyo. With people and goods constantly moving through the area, a local tradition of soy sauce brewing gradually developed.
During the Meiji and Taisho periods, Haramachida in Minamitama District developed as a way station along the “Silk Road”, the route used to transport raw silk from Gunma, Yamanashi, Nagano, Hachioji, and other areas to Yokohama Port.
Oka Naosaburo Shoten established a factory in the area and expanded its business during this period of prosperity. Although the company’s headquarters were later moved to Machida, Tokyo, most of its soy sauce brewing is still carried out at its Omama factory in Gunma Prefecture.
Takasaki Soy Sauce is a richly flavored traditional soy sauce made with domestically produced soybeans and wheat, traditionally fermented in wooden barrels and aged for more than one year.
Its rich aroma and umami, slowly developed through the changing seasons, make it a versatile seasoning that enhances the natural flavors of a wide range of dishes. It offers an opportunity to experience the distinctive taste of Gunma through long-established brewing techniques and traditional production methods.