Explorer’s Collection JAPAN

The theme is “the future of the fermented food culture that can be experienced in Akita.”

Akita Prefecture is located in northern Japan.

Winters with deep snow necessitated the preservation of food, which led to the development of a diverse culture of fermented food.

Yamamo Miso and Soy Sauce Brewing Company has produced and sold Akita’s traditional miso and soy sauce products for 155 years since 1867. It uses the ample water of the limpid stream Minase River and rice malt made with the rice of Akita, one of the top rice producing prefecture in Japan. The brewery is exploring new possibilities of fermentation by making use of the fermentation techniques based on its own yeast.

“Our industry puts high value on the repetition of old processes, so coming up with new ideas is not easy. If we don’t take on new challenges or make innovations, traditions won’t be traditions. We strongly feel the need to make more innovations in a wider area.”

Yasushi Takahashi, the seventh-generation heir of Yamamo Miso and Soy Sauce Brewing Company, talks of his passion about the future of the fermented food culture.

His new attempt is the restaurant Astronomica.

After a number of test brewing processes, the company discovered the YAMAMO 001 strain and presented it at an academic conference in 2020.

The strain was later named Viamver®.

The yeast discovered can be used not only for brewing miso and soy sauce but also to improve the meat quality of meat and fish.

The unique yeast Viamver® is used in all the dishes on the restaurant’s menu. The restaurant developed a dinner tour that serves course dishes at different locations in the entire brewery.

It is an innovative attempt that allows participants to experience the “current moment” of fermentation in a traditional space.

Traditional and innovative. Why don’t you come to Akita to experience a new fermentation culture?