About This Guide

This is an independent information site about Japanese fermented seasonings and foods. It sells nothing and ranks no products. Prices, where the subject needs them at all, are never stated for a specific product, and stock is never stated.

Sources and checking

Facts come from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), the JAS standards, the Umami Information Center, makers' official information (used for facts about their own methods and visitor rules only), and Wikipedia under CC BY-SA, credited here and not used as a destination. Every page carries its sources and a check date.

What we do not do

We make no claims about what these foods do for health; composition is stated as fact only. We give no step-by-step instructions for long home fermentation (miso, shoyu, starter cultures): the koji starter page gives general principles and points to makers' directions and public food-safety guidance. The buying and brewery-visit pages are re-checked every six months; the next recheck is due by May 2027.

Sources: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), 'Traditional Foods in Japan'; JAS soy sauce standards; Umami Information Center; Kikkoman official information; Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Checked 6 November 2026.