Kyoto Prefecture boasts a rich tradition of fermentation that reflects its cultural heritage. While famous for its historic temples and stunning landscapes, this region is also renowned for unique fermented goods like miso, soy sauce, and sake. Join us as we explore Kyoto’s fermentation traditions, uncovering the history, production methods, and delicious foods that define this remarkable area.
The local climate and high-quality ingredients contribute to the creation of flavorful fermented foods that offer health benefits, such as improved digestion. Recently, these products have gained popularity abroad, connecting Kyoto’s culinary traditions with a global audience eager for nutritious options. But before we dive into our four featured locations, let’s first explore the star of traditional Japanese fermentation—koji.
Fermented foods start with raw ingredients and microorganisms like lactic bacteria and yeast. In Japan, koji mold is essential for fermentation, with komekoji (rice malt) being the most common type. Though once produced by around 1,000 companies, today only 8 in Japan still make koji.
Koji is spread over steamed grains like rice or beans to create products like sake, soy sauce, and miso. It breaks down sugars, fats, and proteins, offering unique health benefits. Consuming koji can improve digestion and help the body focus on repairing skin and hair. This is why drinking miso soup, rich in koji, can be soothing when you’re sick—it helps replenish the body’s enzymes and promotes faster recovery.
Now, let’s dive into making your own miso! Ready? Let’s go!
Make Your Own Miso at Kyoto Hanakoji
At our first location, we get up close and personal with miso, a staple of any Japanese home-cooked meal. Kyoto Hanakoji is a quaint shop located a short walk from Higashi Muko Station in Muko City. Shop owner and koji cooking instructor Emi Nonaka, a former nutritionist and registered sales clerk, opened the shop in 2018 after discovering a passion for koji’s unique flavor and health benefits.
When you walk into the shop, you’ll be greeted by shelves of fermenting miso in clear plastic bags, a colorful array of fruit enzyme drinks, vinegar brewing sets, and more. Mrs. Nonaka, along with other shop assistants, guided us through the miso-making process for the day.
A Peek into the Miso-Making Workshop
Making miso requires just three simple ingredients: steamed soybeans, koji, and salt. Mrs. Nonaka, our lively instructor, began by sharing some insider tips—when buying miso, avoid unnecessary additives and look for packs with one-way valves, which show the koji is still active and full of health benefits.
She then explained how she makes koji in her shop, carefully cultivating the mold with its delicate, flower-like structures. Using this koji, Mrs. Nonaka creates her own unique miso with an impressive 3:1 ratio of koji to beans, far more than the typical 1:1 ratio found in supermarkets. This higher koji content makes her miso extra rich in umami and health benefits. While it’s a bit pricier, after tasting it, you’ll understand why it’s worth it.
Then, we got hands-on! We smashed soybeans into a creamy paste, mixed koji with pink Himalayan salt, and kneaded it all together until it felt like soft dough. Packing the miso into bags, we pressed out the air and sealed it tightly. We even got to label our creations with a name—we named ours after this website!
In just two hours, we had homemade miso, ready to ferment. It was such a fun, satisfying experience—one we’d highly recommend to any traveler looking for an authentic taste of Japanese tradition.
Tips for Nurturing Your Miso
With our miso complete, now comes the waiting! While it can be ready in about 3 months, the real magic happens around 6-7 months when the flavor reaches its peak. If you’re unsure about the ideal timing, try using it in batches. Refrigerate the portion you plan to use, and leave the rest of the miso to ferment at room temperature.
Since miso is alive, it needs some care. Fermentation creates gases, so you’ll need to open the bag occasionally. For the best results, keep it upright for the first two weeks, when it’s most active, and give it a gentle turn now and then to help it ferment evenly. If you spot mold, just remove it and clean the surface with food-grade ethanol. And don’t be alarmed by white spots inside—they’re crystallized amino acids, a sign your miso is developing great flavor!
What made this workshop so enjoyable was Mrs. Nonaka’s warmth and passion for fermented foods. Her enthusiasm made the experience both educational and fun. Whether you’re a food lover, health-conscious, or curious about Japanese cuisine, making your own miso is a unique, hands-on adventure. You’ll leave with more than just delicious miso—it’s a memory to savor.
Notes:
＊If you provide your hotel and flight information, you can leave the miso at the store and have it mailed to your hotel before you leave Japan (payment in advance required).
＊＊Four sizes of miso are available and the workshop content can be adjusted based on age, group composition, and travel itinerary.
＊＊＊English support is available.
Pricing: Please inquire for rates, as they vary depending on individual circumstances. Reservation Info: You can reserve through Kyoto Hanakoji’s website or via DM on Instagram.
(Site is in Japanese, we recommend using Google translate to complete the form).
Kyoto Hanakoji
Kyoto Hanakoji carries a range of condiments and foods made with koji (a kind of mold used for fermenting food products) that spends three days cultivating. Some of the more popular items include enzy …
Sip Sake and Tour the Yosamusume Sake Brewery in Kyoto’s Countryside
Next, we drove to Yosamusume Sake Brewery in Yosano-cho, situated in the Kyoto by the sea region, nestled in a stunning countryside surrounded by lush mountains and sprawling rice fields. This picturesque setting, with its fresh spring water and locally grown rice, creates the perfect environment for brewing sake, or nihonshu in Japanese.
Upon arrival, we were greeted with warm hospitality by Shiro Nishihara, the brewery’s president and a 6th-generation sake brewer. Established in 1887, Yosamusume originally produced common household ingredients such as soy sauce and shochu but now focuses on nihonshu and spirit-based drinks like umeshu (plum wine) and yuzushu (yuzu liquor).
Upon entering Yosamusume Sake Brewery, we found ourselves in the kamaba, where rice is steamed and prepped for brewing. Two large tanks of natural spring water, piped from nearby mountains, are crucial for washing the rice and brewing sake. This soft water, rich in minerals, ensures a smooth mouthfeel in the final product.
Yosamusume Brewery operates with an impressive setup, featuring 33 sake tanks and producing an extensive variety of sake. As you step into the tank room, the sweet aroma of nihonshu fills the air. About 30% of the sake they make is for private brands, while the remaining is sold as Yosamusume sake products.
During the brewing season, from November to March, visitors can witness the intricate fermentation process firsthand. Factors like rice variety, environmental conditions, and yeast selection all contribute to the distinct flavor profiles of their sake. Each brewery has its unique microbiome, making the final product impossible to replicate elsewhere.
The sake production process typically takes between 33 to 58 days, involving precise temperature control and the use of komekoji (rice mold) to initiate fermentation.
Sake Tasting and Reflections
Finally, we had the opportunity to taste Mr. Nishihara’s sake. The tasting set included three different types of sake, paired with a Bean to Bar chocolate snack. Each sake had its own distinct flavor and aroma, ranging from sweet and smooth to dry and refined. The sake was served in charming ochoko (sake cups) decorated with adorable frog designs. Our favorite was Midori no Kaze (Green Breeze) for its sweet and smooth taste.
Yosamusume’s sake is available for purchase on-site and at select eateries in Kyotango, Miyazu, and Maizuru, though it is less commonly found outside these regions. The brewery began exporting its sake in 2017, now reaching markets in Australia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and New Zealand.
Since its founding in 1887, Yosamusume Sake Brewery has made use of the underground water of the Oeyama Mountain Range, which stands behind the sake brewery, as the water source for their sake. The sa …
The 610 Base (Muto Base), our next stop, offers a refreshing detour from traditional fermentation with its modern craft beer. Muto Base is located in a former elementary school in Fukuchiyama, Kyoto. It opened its doors in September 2020 as a hands-on farming facility centered around strawberries. Starting the following year, they began working toward launching a beer business, and after three years, in April 2024, they finally opened the brewery. They now cultivate strawberries and brew beer side by side. The facility still retains the nostalgic charm of the old school.
Beer Brewing and Production
Muto Base currently produces eight distinct types of beer. They utilize a variety of yeast strains and hops, each contributing unique flavor profiles and aromas, allowing for experimentation and the creation of diverse beer styles.
The farm grows fresh hops and barley on-site, complemented by barley sourced from Canada, the UK, and Germany. The brewery’s old broadcast room houses the barley mill, highlighting their resourcefulness within the constraints of the facility. Under the guidance of beer master Yuki, Muto Base produces about 2000 liters of beer each month. Yuki oversees all aspects of branding, sales, marketing, and labeling.
To prioritize freshness, the beer remains unpasteurized and contains live yeast. Yuki recommends keeping it refrigerated and consuming it within 3 to 6 months, though enjoying it sooner is ideal. The brewery collaborates with local brewers to develop new recipes and share brewing techniques, fostering a vibrant community of innovation and mutual growth. Recently, they released a mikan (mandarin) beer that quickly became a local favorite.
Strawberry Picking and Visits
As a visitor, you can also enjoy strawberry picking starting in January. Reservations for strawberry picking can be made through Instagram DM, the brewery’s homepage, or by telephone, and it’s advisable to have English translation or interpretation for a smoother experience.
During your visit to the brewery, you can also explore the newly opened café, where you can savor menu items made from farm-grown ingredients and sample the freshly brewed beer. We had the pleasure of tasting some of their beers, each offering distinct delicious flavors and aromas. Our favorite, much like the locals, was their mikan beer.
Whether you’re picking strawberries or sampling craft beer, Muto Base provides a unique blend of agricultural and brewing experiences that celebrate local flavors and community spirit.
Pricing: Varies Reservation Info: You can reserve strawberry picking through The 610 Base’s website or DM them on Instagram. For brewery tours, contact them via DM or phone.
Not Your Average Natto at Ikkyu-ji Temple
Our last spot, Ikkyu-ji Temple, nestled in the quiet town of Kyotanabe in Kyoto, holds a special place in Japanese culture. Restored in 1456, this temple is dedicated to the memory of the renowned Zen monk, Ikkyu Sojun.
Legend has it that Ikkyu introduced the art of making natto to this area, having brought the technique back from China along with other cherished elements of Japanese cuisine. These techniques spread, and temple natto was passed down through Zen temples, including Daitoku-ji. Even today, at Ikkyu-ji Temple, they continue to produce natto as a representative local specialty, while preserving the traditional methods.
What Makes Ikkyu-ji Natto Different
Unlike the natto you find in supermarkets today, which is often sticky and pungent, Ikkyu-ji natto stands out for its unique texture and taste. Traditionally, the art of making natto is a special duty entrusted to the temple’s chief priest. Made using traditional methods that emphasize a long fermentation process of two years, compared to the usual one year, this version has a more balanced flavor profile. The natto is prepared in large wooden containers outdoors, and when the weather permits, the natto is exposed to the sun to dry it and help encourage fermentation. Ikkyu-ji natto is the origin of soy sauce and miso, characterized by its deep salty flavor, slightly sweet aroma, and toasted notes.
Ikkyu-ji natto is also used more like a seasoning, complementing a variety of dishes rather than being a standalone item. The temple’s natto has a firmer texture, which adds to its versatility.
How You Can Experience Ikkyu-ji Natto
At the temple, you can enjoy matcha and traditional Japanese sweets for 800 yen. This set includes locally produced matcha from Kyotanabe, wagashi (a type of pressed sweet called rakugan) featuring Ikkyu-ji natto, and Ikkyu-ji natto itself. We recommend you eat the sweet wagashi first ,then drink the matcha, and finish with the salty Ikkyu-ji natto to cleanse the palate. The temple also offers opportunities to purchase Ikkyu-ji natto in bags.
Beyond enjoying the natto, exploring the temple itself is a journey into the past. The beautifully preserved buildings, traditional Zen gardens, and tranquil ambiance of Ikkyu-ji Temple provide a window into the world of Ikkyu Sojun. This hidden gem serves as a perfect escape from the bustling streets of Kyoto, allowing you to immerse yourself in the rich history and spiritual essence of the area.
Whether you’re a food lover, a history enthusiast, or simply looking for a peaceful moment, visiting Ikkyu-ji Temple offers a unique experience of both tradition and tranquility. It’s a must-visit destination for anyone exploring Japan’s spiritual and culinary heritage.
Pricing: Temple entry: 600 yen Matcha set at the café: 800 yen Ikkyu-ji Natto: Price varies based on quantity and type
Ikkyu-ji Temple
Ikkyu-ji Temple was restored under the order of Ikkyu Sojun, a Japanese Zen Buddhist priest, who is widely known in Japan as having been quite witty, and thus the subject of many interesting stories. …
Final Thoughts: Discover the Joy of Fermenting Tradition in Kyoto
Kyoto’s fermentation traditions offer a captivating blend of history and flavor. Each experience showcases the artistry of fermentation, making Kyoto a must-visit destination for food enthusiasts eager to explore the deep connections between culture and cuisine.
