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

Chinese character (1 Cc = 1 Chinese character given) which,
although it appears to refer to Han dynasty China, was
adapted by the early Korean Japanese “Kara” clan (which
Alfred believes later became the Higashi-no-Aya clan). The
next usage was (1 Cc, pronounced “kara”), as in Sam-Nan
clans of Korea and the Karakuni Jinja (4 Cc) in Nara (still
extant). Then the character changed to (1 Cc), still meaning
“Korea” (not salty), and fi nally (1 Cc)–all pronounced kara.
Note: This is the earliest English-language document
seen (Nov. 2011) that contains the term “kara-natto.”
Alfred was introduced to these studies in early Japanese-
Korean relations and the falsifi cations in the Kojiki etc. by
a Korean linguist in Los Angeles. It became obvious how
twisted the stories on the Japanese side became and how
anxious the ancient ruling class Japanese (who were largely
Korean) was to prove it was separate and unrelated to Korea.
Concerning Hama-natto [from Yamaya]: It is a special
product of Hamamatsu, used as an accompaniment to rice,
tea, or fried egg yolks. Two sources give two processes.
He still hopes to fi nd time for a trip to Kyoto, and he
is still interested in working together on a book about sea
vegetables. During Aug. he will stay with his parents in
Rancho Palos Verdes, California. From Sept. he will be
visiting a friend in Columbia, Maryland. Address: Tama-sô
No. 1, Inokashira 1-28-30, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo 181, Japan.
Phone: 0422-47-7130.
748. Shurtleff, William. 1978. Re: Proposal to add new
categories and information about soyfoods to Soybean Digest
Blue Book. Letter to Mr. Lynn Munyer, editor, Soybean
Digest Blue Book, P.O. Box 158, Hudson, Iowa 50643, Aug.
21. 2 p. Typed, with signature on letterhead.
• Summary: Contents: Introduction to publications and work
of New-age Foods Study Center. Statistics on consumption
of traditional soyfoods in East Asia. Tofu. Soymilk. Miso.
Shoyu. Tempeh. Natto. Conclusion.
“Worldwide and increasingly in the United States the
traditional soyfoods discussed in our books account for an
extremely large proportion of world soybean consumption
for human diets.
“Therefore we feel it is in the interest of the ASA
[American Soybean Association] and American Soybean
farmers to do more to introduce these traditional soyfoods
to people around the world via your publications.” Address:
New-Age Foods Study Center, P.O. Box 234, Lafayette,
California 94549. Phone: 415-283-2991.
749. Lachman, Gaella; Elwell, Christian. 1978. Making miso
in America. East West Journal. Sept. p. 54-59.
• Summary: A colorful account of making 1,000 lb of miso
in the spring of 1978 with Noboru Muramoto at Asunaro, on
Mt. Veeder, at 4600 Cavedale Road, Glen Ellen, California
95442. Phone: (707) 996-5365. Christian writes in the
introduction that several years ago, upon returning from
© Copyright Soyinfo Center 2012
HISTORY OF NATTO AND ITS RELATIVES 252
India and recovering with a serious bout with jaundice,
he came across Naboru [sic] Muramoto’s book, Healing
Ourselves (Avon Books, 1973), “one of the few reliable
guides to preventive medicine now available.” After this
he began to use food as medicine for the fi rst time. Within
a year he was attending seminars by Michio in Boston,
Massachusetts, and learning about macrobiotics. He later
learned that Mr. Kushi and Mr. Muramoto had both been
students of George Ohsawa. While in Boston, Christian met
Gaella, his wife to be. They left Boston to visit California,
and from January to April 1978 they studied at Asunaro
Eastern Studies Institute (established in the fall of 1976) in
Glen Ellen, California, with Mr. Muramoto. By mid-April,
in addition to miso, they had also learned to make soy sauce,
saké, tofu, seitan, mochi, bran pickles, sauerkraut, tekka
[miso], and bread. Natto making is also taught. A large photo
shows the two of them cooking soybeans for making miso.
Note: Talk with Christian Elwell. 1996. Sept. 7. While
Christian and Gaella were at Asunaro, Thom Leonard
visited for a few days. Thom and Christian met and talked,
recognized that they had a lot in common, and stayed in
touch afterward. Christian eventually purchased Thom’s
Ohio Miso Co. He was already making miso experimentally,
and he had plans to go back to Ohio to make commercial
miso.
750. Mutual Trading Co., Inc. 1978. Price book: Miyako
brand. Fancy Oriental Japanese foods–Importer &
Distributor. Los Angeles, California. 60 p. Sept. Index. 22
cm. [Eng]
• Summary: Includes: Miso (p. 3-4). Soy sauce and other
sauces (p. 4-5). Dried seaweed (p. 32-33). Vegetable
(edamame, natto {Miyako brand}, inari age, konbu natto,
p. 37). Salted black bean (Chinese, p. 60). Address: 431
Crocker St., Los Angeles, California 90013. Phone: 213-626-
9458.
751. Tanaka, Teruo; Sakaguchi, Kenji. 1978. Construction
of a recombinant plasmid composed of B. subtilis leucine
genes and a B. subtilis (natto) plasmid; its use as a cloning
vehicle in B. subtilis 168. Molecular & General Genetics
165(3):269-76. Oct. 24. [Eng; ger]*
• Summary: B. subtilis stands for Bacillus subtilis the
bacterium that causes the natto fermentation. Address:
Mitsubishi Kasei Inst. of Life Sciences, 11 Minamiooya,
Machida, Tokyo, Japan.
752. Kameda, Yukio; Kanatomo, S.; Matsui, K.;
Nakabayashi, T.; Ueno, K.; Nagai, S.; Ohki, K. 1978. Nattôkin
no kôshu yôsei. VI. Nattô-kin no sansei suru eeruriihi
fuku suigan saibô yôkai kassei no kaiseki Antitumor
activity of Bacillus natto. VI. Analysis of cytolytic activity
on Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cell in the culture medium
of Bacillus natto KMD 1126. Yakugaku Zasshi (J. of the