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

of speech (n. = noun; v. = verb, etc.). Finally, one or more
defi nitions are given.
This 2nd edition is 162 pages longer than the original
1867 edition; the Introduction is 19 pages longer, the
Japanese-English section 74 pages longer, and the English-
Japanese section 69 pages longer.
We will not repeat defi nitions that are identical to those
in the 1867 edition. For new spellings, the 1867 spelling will
be shown in parentheses. No new soy-related words were
found in this 1872 edition. Soy-related words and terms in
the 1872 edition: Adzuki (replaces Adzki) [azuki]. Amazake.
Daidzu (replaces Daidz) [Daizu]. Hiriodzu (replaces Hiriodz)
[Hiryozu]: A kind of food made of tofu fried in oil. Kinako.
Kiradzu. Koji: Barm or yeast made by the fermentation
of rice or barley, in the process of making sake and soy
[sauce]. Koji-buta: A shallow box for holding barm. Miso.
Miso wo suru: To rub miso in a mortar. Natto.
Nigari. Sashi (verb). Sashimi. Shitaji (replaces Sh’taji).
Note 1. This is the earliest English-language document seen
(May 2008) that uses the word “shitaji” [spelled like this] to
refer to shoyu or soy sauce.
Shoyu. Tofu: A kind of food made of beans, bean curd.
Umeboshi (hakubai).
Yuba [hot water + leaf]. Yu-dofu.
The English-Japanese part of this dictionary starts after
p. 558 and is titled “An index; or, Japanese equivalents for
the most common English words.” Separately numbered to p.
132, it includes: “Barm, Kôji; tane.” “Soy, Shôyu.”
Terms NOT mentioned include Abura-age, Aburaage,
Aburage, Atsu-age, Daitokuji natto, Edamame (or Eda
mame or Yedamame), Ganmodoki, Hamanatto, Hiya-yakko,
Kori-dofu, Koya-dofu, Nama-age, Okara, Tamari, Tonyu,
Unohana, Yaki-dofu.
Note 2. The author apparently still did not realize that
the various soyfoods he defi ned (with the possible exception
of soy sauce) were made from soybeans. Address: M.D.,
LL.D.
26. Hepburn, James C. 1873. Japanese-English and English-
Japanese dictionary. Abridged by the author. New York:
A.D.F. Randolph & Co.; London: Trübner & Co. vi + 330 +
206 p.
• Summary: “Preface: In order to render the Dictionary more
portable and convenient in size, the Author has thought it
best to abridge the larger work and bring it out in its present
form. In so doing, he has omitted the Chinese and Japanese
characters, the synonyms, and the examples showing the
use of the words, excepting such as contained a peculiar
idiom, and which could not be included in a defi nition. All
the native Japanese words, with the exception of those which
were rarely used or obsolete [such as Yu-dofu], have been
retained; as, also, all the words derived from the Chinese
which are in current use.”
“The Second, or English and Japanese, Part, has not
© Copyright Soyinfo Center 2012
HISTORY OF NATTO AND ITS RELATIVES 35
been abridged or altered from the original, except in the
correction of such typographical errors as were met with.”
Note 1. New words in this edition that are not in the
1867 edition are preceded by “**.”
Soy-related terms: Adzuki: A small red bean. Amazake:
Sweet sake, a kind of fermented rice. Daidzu: A large white
bean. Soja hispida. Hiriodzu: A kind of food made of tofu
fried in oil.
Kinako: A kind of food made of beans. Kiradzu: The
refuse of beans left in making tofu. Koji: Barm or yeast.
Koji-buta: A shallow box for holding barm. Miso: A kind of
sauce made of beans.
** Moromi: The grounds left in making soy [sauce],
used as an article of food.
Note: This is the earliest English-language document
seen (June 2011) that contains the word “Moromi.” However
the defi nition is poor. The word moromi, which is often
translated as “mash,” is the stage in making soy sauce (it
has a consistency resembling apple sauce) before the liquid
shoyu (soy sauce) is pressed out, leaving behind the shoyu
presscake or residue (which could be called “grounds”).
Natto: A kind of food made of beans. Nigari: The brine
formed by the deliquescence of salt. Sashimi: Raw fi sh cut
in thin slices and eaten with soy. Shoyu: Soy, a kind of sauce
made of fermented wheat and beans. Tofu: A kind of food
made of beans. Yuba: A kind of food made of beans.
Terms NOT mentioned include Aburage, Abura-age,
Aburaage, Daitokuji natto, Edamame (or Eda mame or
Yedamame), Hamanatto, Hiya-yakko, Koya-dofu, Kori-dofu,
Okara, Tamari, Tonyu, Unohana, Yaki-dofu.
Note 2. The author apparently did not realize that the
various soyfoods he defi ned (with the possible exception of
soy sauce) were made from soybeans. Address: M.D., LL.D.
27. Kogyo Tokei-hyo (Census of Manufacturers).1878--.
Serial/periodical. Tokyo: Japanese Ministry of International
Trade and Industry (MITI), Research and Statistics Dept.
(Tsusho Sangyo Daijin Kanbo Chôsa Tokei-bu). Annual.
[Jap]
• Summary: Contains statistics concerning Japan’s industries
and commodities. For example, in the report for the year
1987 (published in June 1989) under miso we fi nd “124111
Miso (Including powdered or spray-dried miso). Total
production in Japan: 641,337 tonnes. Value in million
yen: 138,960. ??” Similar fi gures are given for each of
Japan’s 47 prefectures, listed from north to south, starting
with Hokkaido and ending with Okinawa. The four largest
producing prefectures are Nagano 186,316 tonnes (29% of
the total), Aichi 63,294 tonnes, and Shin (?) 34,282, and
Aomori 32,145 tonnes.
Note: The powerful and infl uential publisher, MITI, is
called Tsûsan-sho in Japanese. Address: Tokyo, Japan.
28. Hepburn, James Curtis. 1886. A Japanese-English and