Miso: Types, Colours and Regions
Thirteen pages: the classification system first (koji, colour, region), then the six named regional misos, then how to read a label.
The full list sits in the frame below - it scrolls inside the frame so the rest of the page stays close.
What Is Miso?
A fermented paste of soybeans, koji and salt - Japan's defining soup seasoning, classified by koji type, colour and region.Rice Miso (Kome Miso)
Miso made with rice koji - the largest family of miso, covering most of the miso sold in Japan and abroad.Barley Miso (Mugi Miso)
Miso made with barley koji, centred on Kyushu with pockets in Shikoku and Chugoku - known for a rustic aroma and natural sweetness.Soybean Miso (Mame Miso)
Miso made from soybeans and soybean koji alone, with no rice or barley - the dark, concentrated miso of the Tokai region.White Miso (Shiro Miso)
Pale, sweet miso with a high share of koji and a short maturation - the mildest end of the miso shelf.Red Miso and Awase Miso
Red miso is the long-aged, darker class; awase is a blend of misos - the all-purpose middle most beginners should start with.Shinshu Miso (Nagano)
The light-yellow rice miso of Nagano - Japan's largest miso-producing prefecture and the style behind much of the country's standard miso soup.Sendai Miso (Miyagi)
A red rice miso from Sendai, traditionally made as a keeping miso - strongly savoury and built for long storage.Saikyo Miso (Kyoto White Miso)
Kyoto's sweet white miso - the named style behind saikyo-yaki grilled fish, made with a generous share of rice koji.Hatcho Miso (Okazaki)
The famous soybean miso of Okazaki, Aichi - made only from soybeans, salt and water, and matured under heavy stones in wooden vats.Edo Sweet Miso (Edo Amamiso)
Tokyo's own miso - a sweet, dark-red rice miso that survives as a local speciality of the old Edo city.Tsugaru Miso (Aomori)
A long-aged red rice miso from the Tsugaru plain of Aomori - the north's keeping miso for long winters.Reading a Miso Label
The five things a miso label tells you - koji type, colour class, salt, additives and storage - and how to use them to choose.
A fermented paste of soybeans, koji and salt - Japan's defining soup seasoning, classified by koji type, colour and region.Rice Miso (Kome Miso)
Miso made with rice koji - the largest family of miso, covering most of the miso sold in Japan and abroad.Barley Miso (Mugi Miso)
Miso made with barley koji, centred on Kyushu with pockets in Shikoku and Chugoku - known for a rustic aroma and natural sweetness.Soybean Miso (Mame Miso)
Miso made from soybeans and soybean koji alone, with no rice or barley - the dark, concentrated miso of the Tokai region.White Miso (Shiro Miso)
Pale, sweet miso with a high share of koji and a short maturation - the mildest end of the miso shelf.Red Miso and Awase Miso
Red miso is the long-aged, darker class; awase is a blend of misos - the all-purpose middle most beginners should start with.Shinshu Miso (Nagano)
The light-yellow rice miso of Nagano - Japan's largest miso-producing prefecture and the style behind much of the country's standard miso soup.Sendai Miso (Miyagi)
A red rice miso from Sendai, traditionally made as a keeping miso - strongly savoury and built for long storage.Saikyo Miso (Kyoto White Miso)
Kyoto's sweet white miso - the named style behind saikyo-yaki grilled fish, made with a generous share of rice koji.Hatcho Miso (Okazaki)
The famous soybean miso of Okazaki, Aichi - made only from soybeans, salt and water, and matured under heavy stones in wooden vats.Edo Sweet Miso (Edo Amamiso)
Tokyo's own miso - a sweet, dark-red rice miso that survives as a local speciality of the old Edo city.Tsugaru Miso (Aomori)
A long-aged red rice miso from the Tsugaru plain of Aomori - the north's keeping miso for long winters.Reading a Miso Label
The five things a miso label tells you - koji type, colour class, salt, additives and storage - and how to use them to choose.
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.
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