A little of each town’s story

Soy sauce of Yuasa

A bottle of soy sauce made in Yuasa

Yuasa, the town next to Aridagawa, is known as the birthplace of soy sauce brewing. Legend has it that the liquid pooling in barrels of Kinzanji miso, brought back by a Zen monk who trained in China, became the first soy sauce. In 2017 it was recognized as a Japan Heritage site, "The First Drop: Kishu Yuasa, Birthplace of Soy Sauce Brewing." Breweries such as Kadocho, founded in 1841, still operate there.

Sources: walkerplus.com kyodonewsprwire.jp

This moment in the journey

Breakfast from Wakayama's pantry

An old tiled kamado stove still stood on the earthen floor. This morning, breakfast would be made from Wakayama's own specialties: takana pickles for mehari-zushi, Kishu umeboshi plums, red shiso, and soy sauce from neighboring Yuasa.

Yuasa is said to be the birthplace of Japanese soy sauce. I mixed a little of it into the chopped takana. Looking up, I noticed the bamboo framework under the eaves, holding up the heavy thatch.

And when it comes to umeboshi, Kishu is the place. I took the flesh off the pits and chopped it finely while soft morning light came in through the kitchen window. Soy sauce, pickled plums, pickled greens: this is a region deeply tied to Japan's traditional food.

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