Reading a Shoyu Label (醤油ラベルの読み方)
Type name, brewing method, ingredients and the tokkyu grade mark - the four readings that sort a shelf of bottles.
| Type | Koikuchi / usukuchi / tamari / saishikomi / shiro - the JAS type is the first thing to find |
|---|---|
| Method words | Honjozo = fully brewed by fermentation. Kongo-jozo and kongo = brewed shoyu blended with other seasonings - a different, cheaper method, stated on the label |
| Grade | JAS grades include tokkyu (special grade) for koikuchi meeting set standards for nitrogen content and other measures |
| Ingredients | Soybeans (whole or defatted), wheat, salt - in that family. 'Defatted soybeans' (dasshi daizu) is a standard, lawful ingredient, not a defect |
Japanese labels reward a set order: type first, then the method word, then ingredients, then grade. With those four, two similar-looking bottles separate clearly - a honjozo koikuchi and a blended koikuchi are different products at different prices, and the label says so plainly once you know where to look.
Abroad, export labels translate loosely: 'dark' may mean koikuchi and 'light' may mean either usukuchi or a salt-reduced koikuchi. When the Japanese type name is printed - and on Japanese brands it usually is - trust it over the English colour word.
See also
What is shoyu?Related page in this guide.Choosing in one table
Related page in this guide.
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.