Explore the only soy sauce brewery in Kobe City that preserves tradition: Ikemoto in Hazetani-cho, Nishi-ku, Kobe

We visited Ikemoto Soy Sauce Company (Nishi Ward, Kobe City), the only soy sauce brewery in Kobe City that has been in business for 130 years. The brewery is located in Hazetani-cho, a rural area rich in nature, and produces soy sauce using locally grown soybeans and wheat in Hazetani, and salt from Ako, Hyogo Prefecture.

We interviewed Mr. Ikemoto, the 6th generation owner, about the charm of soy sauce and its production process. When we visited, we felt a deep history in the traditional soy sauce warehouse.

First, we decided to take a tour of the direct sales office. The direct sales shop is located on the right side of the building and sells a wide variety of soy sauce.

Among them were “Rashi-shirasu ni kakeru soy sauce,” which was picked up by a local newspaper, and “Hazenomurasaki,” a product with a label created by a student who lives near the soy sauce brewery.

Tamafuku” 150 ml, price 1,250 yen (tax included)

Tamafuku Soy Sauce” is the company’s special soy sauce that Mr. Ikemoto says, “I want you to try it. Named after the former name of the company, “Tamafuku*,” it is made with soybeans and wheat grown in Hazetani-cho. The label is also handmade by the store owner.

*The trade name is from around 1950, and the previous trade name of Ikemoto Soy Sauce was “Kiku-Murasaki.

Kake Soy Sauce 1800ml (regular price 950 yen) 1000ml (610 yen) 500ml (370 yen) all tax included

Mr. Ikemoto says, “Kake shoyu is a thick, tamari-style soy sauce, which is delicious poured over sashimi, cold tofu, and other dishes. We also recommend the egg-paste soy sauce, which comes in two types (dark soy sauce with kombu dashi broth and light soy sauce with bonito dashi broth) and comes in mini bottles for easy use.

Next, we went on a tour of the soy sauce brewery. The first thing that caught my eye upon entering the soy sauce-filled space was a huge vat of soy sauce. History and tradition are alive and well.

In the back of the soy sauce warehouse, steamed soybeans and wheat mixed with koji (malted rice in the process of being made into moromi) were stored separately for each year. We were shown how the ingredients packed in the vat fermented, and how the color and flavor of the soy sauce deepened over time.

When we tasted a special sample, the rich flavor of the soy sauce filled our mouths, a perfect description of the “deep taste of fermentation.

These are soybeans, the raw material of soy sauce. Mr. Ikemoto was all smiles as he told us the interesting story of how he took over the company.

Ikemoto Soy Sauce also manufactures original soy sauce (private brand) and offers flavors tailored to customer needs. Recipes made with Ikemoto Soy Sauce products are also available on their official website. We hope you will enjoy the taste of the only soy sauce brewery in Kobe City.

More Information

Location

Ikemoto Soy Sauce Company
(691 Hazetani-cho Fukutani, Nishi-ku, Kobe)
Find it on GoogleMaps

Hours of operation

8:30-17:30

Closed

2nd Saturday, Sunday, Holidays

TEL

078-991-0001

• Ikemoto Soy Sauce Company Official Website https://www.kikumurasaki.co.jp/
• Ikemoto Soy Sauce Company Official Online Shop https://kikumurasaki.stores.jp/
• Official Ikemoto Soy Sauce Company Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ikemoto.soy_sauce/