“Japan’s First Soy Sauce”-Kishu Yuasa’s Soy Brewery

The history of Japanese soy sauce dates to a Zen monk who brought back a method of making special miso from China during the 13th century. Yuasa, located in what was formerly known as the Kishu domain of Wakayama Prefecture, has become famous for creating the first Japanese soy sauce out of the liquid that accumulated in the miso tub. The town prospered from soy sauce brewing and is lined with houses with impressive thick-tiled roofs, delicate lattice screens, and white earthen-walled warehouses. As visitors walk through Yuasa’s remarkably well-preserved narrow warren of streets, they will be welcomed by the smell of delicious soy sauce wafting out of the historic breweries.In Yuasa, the history and traditions of soy sauce brewing continue to thrive through the inviting aromas, beautiful objects and local customs that exist in the lives of its inhabitants.