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

present form of tempura batter.
1753–The Swedish naturalist Linne (Linnaeus; 1707-
1778) gives the soybean its fi rst scientifi c name.
1770–Sugita Genpaku (lived 1733-1817) discusses the
nutritional value of foods and uses the word eiyo (meaning
“nutrition”) for the fi rst time in Japan.
1782–The book Tofu Hyakuchin (One hundred rare
and favorite tofu recipes) is written by Ka Hitsujun (his
pen name) of Osaka. He introduces about 100 tofu recipes.
The next year he publishes a supplementary volume, Zoku
Tofu Hyakuchin. He divides tofu recipes into fi ve different
categories according to their special characteristics, like
common, regular, good, very good, and fantastic (jinjohin,
tsuhin, kahin, myohin, and zeppin). In his jinjohin category,
he includes 36 recipes such as Kinome Dengaku, Kijiyaki,
Dengaku, etc.–showing that these were common recipes of
the period. Over the next several years, many books with the
word “Hitsujin” at the end of the title appear.
1783-1787–The terrible famine of the Tenmei period
(Tenmei no Dai Kikin) occurs. It is worst in Oou province,
where several hundred thousand people die of starvation.
Many farm villages are abandoned.
1788–At about this time the word nukamiso fi rst
appears.
1802–Takizawa Bakin (lived 1767-1848) writes Kiryo
Manroku, a travel book, and in it he states: “Gion tofu is not
as good as the Dengaku of Shinzaki, and Nanzenji tofu is not
better than Awayuki in Edo. He criticizes tofu as a famous
product from Kyoto (Kyoto meibutsu tofu) in his writing.
1804–Takahashi Fumiuemon (or Bunuemon) on the
island of Shodoshima starts making shoyu; he starts selling it
in 1805.
1810–Choshi Shoyu receives an order from the
Tokugawa Bakufu (Gozen Goyo-rei).
1818–There are now 10 miso manufacturers in Edo
(today’s Tokyo). Yomo Hyobei’s miso shop in Shin Izumicho
(presently Ningyo-cho 3-chome, Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku,
Tokyo) has a prosperous business. In some funny poems
(Senryu) this shop is mentioned: “With sake and miso their
name is ringing in the four directions” (“Sake, miso de sono
na mo shiho ni hibiku nari”). And: “This shop is surrounded
by nested boxes for food, and these boxes are used for red
miso” (“Jûbako ni torimakaretaru shiho-ga-mise”). His
red miso and his fi ne sake made with water from a waterfall
(takisui) are very popular.
1822–Pounded natto (tataki natto), an instant food made
of chopped natto, sells for about one-fi fth the price of tofu
on a weight basis. The restaurant Sasa no Yuki in the Negishi
area of Edo, becomes well known for its tofu cuisine.
1832–Shoyu production in Noda reaches 23,000 koku
(1 koku = 180 liters or 47.6 gallons), compared with only
17,000 koku in Choshi. Thus Noda passes Choshi in shoyu
production.
1839–Shibata Kyuo (1783-1839), a follower of
© Copyright Soyinfo Center 2012
HISTORY OF NATTO AND ITS RELATIVES 34
Shingaku, writes Zokuzoku Kyuo Dowa in which he pens
words that later become famous: “In a place where the
cuckoo can sing freely, you have to walk 3 ri (1 ri = 2.445
miles or 3.924 km) to buy your sake and 2 ri to buy your
tofu” (Hototogisu jiyu jizai ni naku sato wa, sakaya e san
ri, tofu-ya e ni ri). Shingaku, founded by Ishida Bangai, is a
popular teaching of the time combining Shinto, Buddhism,
and Confucianism (Jugaku). It emphasizes that “to
understand heart/mind is the most important thing.”
1845–Inari-zushi becomes very popular in Edo.
It originated around Hiranaga-cho (presently Sadacho
1-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo). It is made with deep-fried
tofu pouches (abura-agé) stuffed with rice or okara and sells
for 7 mon each.
1851–There are now 140 miso manufacturers in Edo.
Half of them are in the Hongo area of Tokyo.
1853–Kitagawa Morisada (born 1810) writes Morisada
Manko, the story of his life during the Edo period. In it he
says of tofu: “In the Kyoto-Osaka area it is soft, white, and
delicious, but in Edo [today’s Tokyo] it is hard, not white,
and not tasty.” Of miso he says: “In the Kyoto-Osaka area
many people make their own miso each winter, but in Edo
people buy red miso and Inaka miso (from the countryside),
and nobody makes their own miso.” Concerning the sale
of natto (natto-uri) he says: “Cook soybeans, ferment them
overnight, then sell them. In the old days, natto was sold only
in the winter, but recently it has also come to be sold in the
summer.”
1857–Soybean varieties brought back from Japan by the
Perry Expedition are distributed to the U.S. Commissioner of
Patents.
1858–Eitaro, a Japanese confectionery shop in
Nihonbashi, Edo, starts selling Amanatto [sugar-sweetened
red beans] made from Kintoki Sasage for the fi rst time.
Sasage is a type of cowpea [Vigna sinensis].
1864–For the fi rst time shoyu made in the area around
Edo (Kanto shoyu) is permitted to use the term “highest
quality shoyu” saijo shoyu to describe the product.
1865–Infl ation in Edo. The prices of rice, sake, miso, oil,
vegetables, fi sh, etc. skyrocket. The Tokugawa Shogunate
(Bakufu) orders people to lower their prices and forbids
holding back or buying up goods. Address: Norin Suisansho,
Tokei Johobu, Norin Tokeika Kacho Hosa.
25. Hepburn, James C. 1872. Japanese-English and
English-Japanese dictionary. 2nd ed. Shanghai: American
Presbyterian Mission Press. xxxi + 632 + 201 p. 28 cm.
• Summary: This is Hepburn’s 2nd Japanese-English
dictionary. The words are arranged alphabetically by their
romanized spelling. Each word is written in three ways.
After the romanized word (main entry), written in uppercase
letters with diacritical marks (which we have largely omitted
below), the same word is written in katakana, then again in
Chinese characters. Then comes an abbreviation of the part