A Picturesque Small Town with a Big and Important Culinary History, Yuasa in Wakayama Prefecture

Yuasa, a quiet town of narrow alleys lined with traditional buildings, might feel far removed from the bright lights of big cities like Tokyo and Osaka, however, a world-changing culinary event occurred here—the birth of shoyu,soy sauce. When you visit this Wakayama seaside town you'll find yourself surrounded by the sights of old Japan, the sounds of the sea, and the aroma of freshly made soy sauce. Diving into the historic streets, your first stop should be the old wooden buildings of Kadocho Soy Sauce Factory, where brewers still produce the traditional condiment from a recipe unchanged for over 170 years. At the factory, you can learn about this traditional brewing process and see some of the old-fashioned tools used to create soy sauce. It is said that the invention of soy sauce in Yuasa was completely by coincidence. A priest returning from China with the know-how of producing miso (soybean paste) began production of the paste and realized that the fluids that ran off mid-production turned out to be a delicious condiment for a whole host of Japanese dishes. That's how soy sauce was born. Therefore, Yuasa is not just about soy sauce, but also miso production. While in town, you can enjoy other hidden treasures, such as Jinburo: a restored bathhouse which now serves as a museum packed full of artifacts and glimpses of what life was like in Edo period (1603-1868) Yuasa. There are also a host of other museums, temples, and places of interest that can be enjoyed while strolling the historic streets. The town's significance and cultural heritage were recognized on a national level in 2006, when its Edo-period buildings and soy sauce breweries were selected to be part of a preservation district for traditional structures.

Last but not least, make sure that you taste the local noodles called Wakayama ramen. It originated in the 1930s as a food stall in the downtown area that ran from Wakayama Station to the prefectural office. Historically, the soy sauce type came first, and the cloudy tonkotsu soy sauce type came later, so it is said that there are two main types, and both are really yummy. Don't miss it while you are there!