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

Natto” (or “Hamanatto,” regardless of capitalization).
This document contains the earliest date seen for
Hamanatto–1605! Note 2. This is the earliest document
seen (Nov. 2011) stating that Hamanatto [fermented black
soybeans] were made at Daifukuji temple in Hamamatsu.
1616–Tanaka Genba of Kamiusa no Kuni is advised to
make tamari shoyu as a side business by Sanagi Kyurouemon
of Settsu. The latter runs a sake factory and has a wholesale
seafood products shop in Edo. This is the beginning of
Choshi Shoyu and Higeta Shoyu.
1619–At about this time shoyu in quantity is brought
from the Kyoto-Osaka area (Kansai) to Edo by Taru Kaisen
and Hishigaki Kaisen. Note 1. A “Kaisen” is a ship that has
a carrying capacity of at least 200 koku (= 9,520 gallons or
36,000 liters). That shoyu is regarded as the best quality and
it soon takes over the entire Edo shoyu market.
1624-1644–Konpura Nakama (The union of merchants
who go to Dejima / Deshima, an island in Nagasaki Bay)
starts to export shoyu through the Dutch East India Company
(Higashi Indo Gaisha) to Europe and Southeast Asia. It is
said that in Europe this shoyu even reached the dining table
of Louis XIV. Note 2. This document contains the earliest
date seen for soybean products (shoyu) in Europe and
Southeast Asia (probably Indonesia, 1644); soybeans as such
had not yet been reported by that date. [Question: What is the
source of these two dates?]
1626–Sendai Han (daimyo domain) starts to monopolize
the selling of salt for the fi rst time in the history of Japan.
Because of this, all other Hans start to do likewise.
Makabeya Ichibei of Kokubunji-cho in Sendai starts to
sell Sendai Miso. He continues to sell his miso to the Han
government for several generations.
1642–Because of famines in various provinces (kuni),
the people were advised to eat coarse grains (zakkoku) and
banned from eating rice. The sale of tofu, udon (wheat
noodles), soba (buckwheat noodles), and manju (steamed
glutinous rice cakes with a sweet azuki-jam fi lling) were also
prohibited.
1645–The Ako Han starts a salt farm. Hatcho miso
starts to be made in Mikawa, Okazaki. Hamaguchi Gihei of
Hiromura in Kishu goes to Choshi and starts making shoyu.
This is the beginning of Yamasa Shoyu.
1649 Feb.–The Tokugawa government (bakufu) passes
a law to control the lives of farmers. Called Kanno Jorei
(Keian no Ofuregaki), it states that farmers must plant
soybeans and azuki beans between their rice fi elds and farms.
Azé-mame (soybeans grown on the raised footpaths between
rice fi elds) may have started from this forceful edict.
1652 May–Various farmers in Waksa, Kohama-han,
Enshiki-gun? protest the heavy soybean tax increase. The
farmland tax is often paid with soybeans. The leaders of the
protest are killed.
1657 Jan. 18-19–A large fi re (called Sodefuri Kaji)
burned Edo (today’s Tokyo). Laborers came from throughout
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HISTORY OF NATTO AND ITS RELATIVES 30
Japan to reconstruct the city. To feed them, many sellers of
pre-cooked, ready-to-eat food sprung up in Edo.
1666–Maruo Magouemon? Chotoku? of Hanshu Tatsuno
makes Usukuchi Shoyu (light-colored soy sauce). After this,
Tatsuno Shoyu’s main product becomes Usukuchi Shoyu.
1681–The government bans the withholding or
monopolizing of crops (such as rice, barley, or soybeans)
following a year with a bad harvest.
1695–Dr. Hitomi Hitsudai, a Japanese physician, age
74, writes the Honcho Skokkan and talks about the good and
bad points of daily foods from his medical viewpoint. The
12 volume book is written entirely in Chinese. He praises the
therapeutic virtues of soybeans, miso, natto, tofu, and shoyu.
A translation into Japanese was later made by Shimada Isao.
1695–At about this time, tofu is sold by vendors sitting
by the road. We do not know for sure when tofu was fi rst
sold by walking street vendors, but it is guessed that this
may have taken place in about 1837-1853 when the book
Morisada Manko was written by Kitagawa Morisada.
1696–There is famine throughout Japan. In eastern
Japan, especially in Tsugaru Han, half of the population dies
of starvation.
1696–One of the greatest scholars of agriculture
during the Edo period, Miyazaki Yasusada (1623-1697),
write Nôgyo Zensho (Encyclopedia of Agriculture). In it he
described the many different colors, sizes, and shapes of
soybeans cultivated at that time.
1697–Koikuchi shoyu, similar to the type made today,
starts to be made from tamari shoyu in Choshi.
1698–After a big fi re in Edo, sellers of Dengaku
(skewered grilled tofu with a sweet miso topping) start to
appear. Address: Norin Suisansho, Tokei Johobu, Norin
Tokeika Kacho Hosa.
14. Terajima Ryôan. comp. 1711. Wakan sansai zue
[Collection of Japanese and Chinese diagrams and drawings
of all things]. Japan. 40 books, 106 sections. Japanese
summary by Kawakami 1978, p. 269. Translation into
modern Japanese titled Wakan Sansai Zukai published by
Heibonsha in Toyo Pocket Library series. [Jap; eng+]
• Summary: This is Japan’s oldest encyclopedia, written in
kanbun, the Japanese transcription of Chinese writing. It is
a Japanese compilation, which originated in Japan and is
not a Japanese translation of a Chinese work. When cited in
Chinese, the title in pinyin is: Hehan sanchai tuhui (W.-G.
Ho Han San Ch’ai T’u Hui). The author’s nickname (aza)
is Shojun; his artist’s name (go) is Kyorindo. The work
contains many illustrations, although they were generally
primitive and not very accurate.
In volume 105 (Jozorui), which is about brewing and
fermented foods, a clear distinction is made between miso,
shoyu, and tamari.
The section on yuba states: “Tofu fi lm is made on the
surface while making tofu. It looks like yellow paper. If