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

upon.” Address: [California].
1205. Murata, K.; Kusakabe, I.; Kobayashi, H.; Akaike, M.;
Park, Y.W.; Murakami, K. 1987. Studies on the coagulation
of soymilk-protein by commercial proteinases. Agricultural
and Biological Chemistry 51(2):385-89. Feb. [5 ref. Eng]
• Summary: 17 proteinases from microorganisms, plants, and
animals were tested as coagulants for soymilk. Those which
did coagulate soymilk were bromelain, papain, trypsin and
proteinases from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, B. subtilis, B.
polymyxa, Streptomyces griseus, S. caespitosus, Aspergillus
oryzae, A. sojae, Endothia parasitica, Rhizopus species,
and Mucor miehei. Ineffective were rennin, pepsin, and
proteinases from Aspergillus saitoi. Soymilk clotting activity
fell as the pH rose from 5.9 to 6.7. Temperature optima for
the enzymes varied from about 50ºC for Rhizopus sp. to 85ºC
for Bacillus subtilis and B. thermoproteolyticus and as high
as 95ºC for papain. Address: Research Development Sect.,
Kibun Food Chemifa Co. Ltd., Takinogawa 7-38-15, Kitaku,
Tokyo 114, Japan.
1206. Toyo Shinpo (Soyfoods News).1987. Shôwa rokujû nen
no gyôshasû. Tôfu gyôsha 25,429 ken. Genshô keikô tsuzuku
ga genshôritsu wa teika. Nattô wa 926 gyôsha (zennen hi
2.4% gen) [There were 25,429 tofu manufacturers in Japan
in 1985. Although the number of manufacturers continues
to decrease, the rate of decrease is slowing. There were 926
natto manufacturers (2.4% less than last year) in 1985].
March 21. p. 3. [Jap; eng+]
• Summary: The number of tofu manufacturers in Japan
dropped in 1985 to 25,429. That is 603 less than last year
(2.32% less). But the rate of reduction is also decreasing–
from 3% to 2.1%. The number of natto manufacturers in
Japan fell to 926. That is 23 less than last year (2.42% less).
There were also fewer new tofu makers in the country than
in previous years. Graphs in the article compare the number
of new manufacturers with those who went out of business.
1207. Kiuchi, Kan; Taya, N.; Sulistyo, J.; Funane, K.
1987. Shihan nattô-kin no bunri to dôtei [Isolation and
identifi cation of natto bacteria from market-sold natto
starters]. Shokuhin Sogo Kenkyujo Kenkyu Hokoku (Report
of the National Food Research Institute) No. 50. p. 18-21.
March. [10 ref. Jap; eng]
• Summary: Seven bacterial strains were isolated from
commercial starters made by 3 companies. Six strains were
identifi ed as Bacillus natto, a variety of Bacillus subtilis.
One of the strains isolated from the natto starter made by
company #2 consisted of B. subtilis which did not belong
to Bacillus natto. Address: 2. Takano Foods Co. Ltd.; 3.
National Biological Inst. of Indonesian Inst. of Sciences,
Indonesia.
1208. Kuwahara, M.; Nakano, H. 1987. Soybean in Japan.
© Copyright Soyinfo Center 2012
HISTORY OF NATTO AND ITS RELATIVES 379
Eurosoya No. 5. p. 5-7. April. [1 ref. Eng]
• Summary: In 1984 Japan consumed 4,810,000 tons
of soybeans. Of the total, 82% is used for oil and meal
production, 17% for foods, and the rest (1%) as feed for
livestock. 95% of the soybeans used are imported, mainly
from the USA (92%) and China (7%). The soybeans from
China and Japan, which are higher in protein and lower in
oil, are used for traditional foods. Domestic production is
small and these soybeans are expensive. They are processed
to make tofu (38%), miso (24%), natto (10%), and other
foods (11%), while the remaining 17% is used for home
cooking.
Soybean breeding started in 1910 in Japan; pure line
selection from many local varieties was the main method.
After about 1930 cross-breeding became the main method.
In 1935 soybean breeding started at the experiment stations
of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries
(Norinsho). Today there are 5 such stations with a soybean
breeding laboratory and 3-5 breeders per lab. From north to
south they are Chuo and Tokachi in Hokkaido, Kariwano
in Tohoku, Chushin in Nagano, and Kumamoto in Kyushu.
Yet from 1950 to 1980 soybean yield increased only slightly,
to 1.5 tonnes/ha from 1.3 tonnes. Japan’s largest seeded
soybean is Tanbaguro; 100 seeds weigh 70 gm. It is preferred
for cooking. The smallest is Nattoshoryo; 100 seeds weigh
8-10 gm. It is traded at high prices for natto production.
For decades the Japanese government, for political
reasons, has subsidized rice production. But after the late
1970s, when production far exceeded domestic consumption,
the government decided to reduce rice acreage and promote
the cultivation of other crops, especially soybeans, barley,
and wheat in the drained paddy fi elds (converted upland
fi elds), which accounted for 62% of the soybean cultivated
area in 1985, totaling 134,000 ha. Address: Lab. of Soybean
Physiology, National Agriculture Research Center, Tsukuba,
Ibaraki 305, Japan.
1209. Fehr, W.R. 1987. Breeding methods for cultivar
development. In: J.R. Wilcox, ed. 1987. Soybeans:
Improvement, Production, and Uses. 2nd ed. Madison,
Wisconsin: American Society of Agronomy. xxii + 888 p.
See p. 249-93. Chap. 7. [145 ref]
• Summary: Contents. 1. Objectives of cultivar development:
Seed yield, pest resistance, maturity, lodging resistance,
plant height, seed size, seed quality, protein and oil
quantity and quality, shattering resistance, resistance to
mineral defi ciencies and toxicities (e.g. iron defi ciency
chlorosis), resistance to herbicide injury. 2. Population
development: Types of populations (two-parent population,
multiple-parent, backcross), hybridization. 3. Inbred line
development: Methods (pedigree, bulk, mass selection,
single seed descent, early generation testing), comparison of
inbreeding methods, number of inbreeding generations. 4.
Inbred line evaluation: Selection before or during replicated