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

packing, incubating, and selling natto wrapped in paper-thin
sheets of pine wood (kyōgi) or small boxes of pine veneer
(oribako). A third important improvement followed shortly;
the development of a new incubation room design (bunka
muro), which had an air vent on the ceiling and substantially
decreased the natto failure rate. These three developments
laid the basis for modern industrial, sanitary, scientifi c natto
manufacture. Commercial natto makers fi lled his classes and
he worked as a consultant for them. Like Dr. Muramatsu
before him, Dr. Hanzawa sold his “University Natto”
from his research lab, promoting it as a rival to cheese. He
was given the appellation of “the father of modern natto
production.” In 1971 he was given the honor of addressing
the emperor of Japan on the subject of natto.
1926 Jan. – The earliest known commercial natto is made in
the United States by Nihon Miso Seizosho in Los Angeles,
California. Other early commercial U.S. natto manufacturers
were: 1930 – Higuchi Natto-ten, Los Angeles. 1937 –
Yoneuchi Natto Seizo-sho, Los Angeles. 1939? – Harada
Tofu, Zakka-ten, Fowler, California. 1951 – Kanai Nissei
Shokai, Honolulu, Hawaii.
1930 Jan. 8 – Dorsett and Morse, USDA plant explorers,
collect three specimens and take a photo of “String Natto” in
Tokyo, Japan. They are the fi rst to use the word “string” (or
“strings” or “stringy”) in connection with natto in English.
1933 Nov. – Carey D. Miller, in an article titled “Japanese
foods commonly used in Hawaii,” says of natto: “The
fermented product is covered with a gray, slimy substance
that forms strings or threads when the beans are pulled apart,
indicating good quality...”
1947 April – Auguste Chevalier, writing in French, notes
that soybeans are used in West Africa to make Soumbara
[also spelled Soumbala in later documents], a condiment
normally prepared with the seeds of Parkia (the locust bean
tree). In 1974 Kay (in Nigeria) states that Sumbala is made
from soybeans instead of the usual néré seeds
1952 Nov. 1 – Amaha and Sakaguchi, in a Japanese-language
article, state that Bacillus natto is different from Bacillus
subtilis in that the former requires the vitamin biotin for
growth, whereas the latter does not. Kida et al. prove this
even more conclusively in Nov. 1956.
1954 – The Japanese National Natto Association (Zenkoku
Nattō Kyodo Kumiai Rengokai) is formed, with headquarters
in Tokyo – incorporating the 1912 association. Over the
years it becomes an extremely effective organization, greatly
benefi tting its members and promoting natto nationwide.
1961 June – Shizuka Hayashi, gives the fi rst statistics in
Copyright © 2012 by Soyinfo Center
HISTORY OF NATTO AND ITS RELATIVES 6
English on the natto industry and market in Japan. Managing
director of the Japanese American Soybean Institute, he
states that about 30,000 metric tons of whole soybeans are
used in Japan to make natto.
1963 – Bluebell R. Standal of the Dept. of Nutrition, Hawaii
Agricultural Experiment Station, is the fi rst Westerner to
publish scientifi c researcher on natto (J. of Nutrition, Nov. p.
279-85).
1963-1964 – In an article titled “Introduction of soyabeans
into Abuja [an Emirate in south central Nigeria], J.A.
Yuwa writes (in the Samaru Agricultural Newsletter): “The
Gwarrin Genge around Diko have discovered that soyabeans
can be used for making ‘Daddawa’ in place of the usual
locust bean. The Koros around Ija pound it into powder and
use it in place of melon seed to thicken their soup” This is
the earliest English-language document seen that contains
the word “Daddawa” in connection with soybeans, or states
that soybeans are being used to make “Daddawa” in Africa.
Soybean daddawa [dawadawa], it is a close relative of natto.
1965 March – Subtilisin, a strong proteolytic enzyme in
natto, is fi rst described by Matsubara. It was later found to be
quite similar to nattokinase.
1965 April – The fi rst “All-Japan ‘Natto’ Exhibition” is held
in Japan, to promote consumer acceptability of natto and to
rationalize the natto manufacturing process.
1967 – Bekang, a close relative of natto from Mizoram, in
northeast India, is fi rst mentioned by Bose.
1969 Nov. – “Industrial production of soybean foods in
Japan,” by Tokuji Watanabe (a paper presented to the United
Nations Industrial Development Organization) is the earliest
English-language document seen that uses the word “sticky”
to describe natto.
1970 – Thua-nao, a close relative of natto from northern
Thailand, is fi rst mentioned by Sundhagul et al.
1971 – Korean-style natto (salted natto paste called
chungkookjang / ch’onggukchang) is fi rst mentioned by Park
and Sung.
1972 – The very important idea of the “natto triangle” is
introduced by Japanese ethnologist Sasuke Nakao (Ryori
no Kigen, p. 118-27). Within this big triangle in Asia, many
relatives of Japanese natto are found. In 1962 he was fi rst
introduced to kinema in eastern Nepal.
1972 – Herman Aihara, in Miso & Tamari, is the fi rst to
describe how to make natto at home in English.