History of Natto and Its Relatives (1405-2012 - SoyInfo Center

conjecture that natto came from Java.
However the incorrect theory actually turned out to have
powerful predictive value, especially as close relatives of
natto were discovered in northeast India by Tamang and coworkers
starting in 1988, more than 15 years after the “natto
triangle” hypothesis was proposed.
603. National Food Research Institute. 1972. National Food
Research Institute [Japan]. NFRI, Ministry of Agriculture
and Forestry, Shiohama-cho 1-4-12, Koto-ku, Tokyo. 27 p.
[144 ref. Eng]
• Summary: Contents: Brief history. Budget and personnel.
Organization. General survey of the Institute. Major research
area. Facilities and pilot plants. Reports and patents.
Publications. Scholarship. Location.
In 1934, the Rice Utilization Research Laboratory was
established by the national government. The fi rst building
of about 330 square meters was completed in 1935 at the
present site. In 1944 the title of the Laboratory was changed
to the Research Institute of the Bureau of Staple Food
Administration, and investigations were directed toward the
processing and utilization of unconventional food resources.
“Owing to the change in the food situation in Japan
during World War II, the Institute carried out extensive
research on the most effi cient utilization of the nutrients in
various foodstuffs, and on fi nding new food sources among
various agricultural products, so as to meet the serious food
shortage. This trend continued through the post-war period as
the nation struggled with an even more acute food shortage
problem. Fats and oils, fruits and vegetables, and fermented
soybean products miso and soybean sauce were added as
subjects of research.
“The Institute again changed its name to the Food
Research Institute in 1947, and offi cial analysis and
standardization of food commodities were included in
its activities... The Institute came to belong to the Food
Agency in 1949 and later, in 1961, as a result of the reform
in agricultural research administration, it was brought under
the administration of the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries
Research Council together with other agricultural research
establishments.” The name was changed for a third time to
the National Food Research Institute in 1970.
T. Watanabe is the Director of the organization. The
fermentation research division is headed by H. Ebine,
and consists of the following laboratories: Fermentation
microbiology (M. Matsuno), fermentation chemistry (T.
Ohta), industrial fermentation (H. Ito), mycotoxin (H.
Ebine), resources utilization (N. Tsumura). The nutrition
research division is headed by S. Kimura.
Note: This institute moved from Tokyo to Tsukuba
in Feb. 1979. Address: Shokuhin Sogo Kenkyujo, Tokyo,
Japan.
604. Sakaguchi, Kinichiro. 1972. Development of industrial
© Copyright Soyinfo Center 2012
HISTORY OF NATTO AND ITS RELATIVES 208
microbiology in Japan. In: Proceedings of the [Sixth]
International Symposium on Conversion and Manufacture
of Foodstuffs by Microorganisms. Tokyo: Saikon Publishing
Co. viii + 297 p. See p. 7-10. Held 5-9 Dec. 1971 at Kyoto,
Japan. [Eng]
• Summary: Japan has made many important contributions
to the development of industrial microbiology, especially
industrial mycology, because of the widespread use of koji
molds (Aspergillus oryzae). Foods made from this one mold
(including sake, miso, and soy sauce) accounted for about
1.5% of the Japanese gross national product, or ¥75,000
billion, in 1970.
Early documents show that molds were being used to
make foods as early as 1,000 B.C. in China and as far back
as the 6th century [A.D.] in Japan. In Japan, the use of lactic
acid fermentation in the pure culture of yeast is already
mentioned in “the diary of sake” [Goshu no Nikki] written
in 1355, however the technology of adding koji starter [tané
koji or “seed koji”] is even 400 years earlier [i.e., ca 955].
Moreover, an unmistakable description of low temperature
pasteurization (hiire) appears in the Tamon-in Diary (1539-
1596), “which was written about 300 years prior to Pasteur’s
famous invention.”
When Japan began to introduce European scientifi c
techniques during the Meiji period (Sept. 1868 to July
1912), the fi rst subject of scientifi c research in Japan was
the unique koji mold. One of the fi rst major discoveries
was the invention of Takadiastase [an enzyme] by Jokichi
Takamine. This enzyme has a great infl uence on biological
chemistry, enzyme chemistry, and various enzymes using
microorganisms worldwide.
Soon the physiology of the koji mold and its
fermentation products (especially organic acids) was studied
by Japanese scientists. The determination of kojic acid by
Yabuta was a major discovery. The Rhyzopus [Rhizopus]
mold was also investigated; this led to the development of
producing organic acids fumaric acid, citric acid, isocitric
acid, itaconic acid, gluconic acid and others.
Two outstanding discoveries have recently been made
in Japan: (1) The technology for making L-glutamic acid,
lysine, and other amino acids; (2) The microbial technology
for making fl avor-enhancing nucleotides such as inosinic
acid and guanylitic acid.
Japanese scientists and industries soon realized that
instead of using microorganisms, the enzymes isolated from
them could be used (in whole or in part) with no reduction
in yield or quality. In the case of Aspergillus oryzae, which
produces various enzymes (amylase, lipase, protease, etc.)
this idea has been applied to the manufacture of alcohol,
sake, mirin, miso, and soy sauce.
The classifi cation and taxonomy by Jun Hanzawa of
microorganisms used in the manufacture of natto (fermented
soybean) and other popular Japanese fermented foods was of
major importance.