Each type of soy sauce has a very interesting history of how it was developed.

Soy based seasonings were introduced into Japan along with Buddhism around 552 AD. A semi-solid mash like substance produced from soybeans and grains, called hishio (same as Jiang in Chinese), and a fermented paste produced from hishio called miso were used extensively to season foods.

The developing of modern shoyu is believed to have evolved from the early 1200s. According to a story passed down the generations (by word of mouth), it is believed that Kakushin, a famous legendary Japanese Zen monk, on his visit to the Temple of Golden Mountain, Kinzanji, in China, learnt to make a type of miso, called the Kinzanji miso that is both sweet and chunky. After returning to Japan, he established himself near the town of Yuasa, where he taught Buddhist meditation to the local people. Alongside Buddhist meditation, he also taught how to make the specialty miso that he learnt in China. While experimenting with the preparation of miso, Kakushin is believed to have discovered that the liquid that collects atop the kegs during the preparation of miso can be used for cooking and seasoning foods. Continuing with his experiments, he increased the amount of water added to the miso mixture. At the end of the regular fermenting period during the preparation of miso, the excess liquid collected at the bottom was ladled off into another container and used as a flavoring and seasoning liquid.

Later, around late 1300s, this liquid was called tamari. Tamari comes from a Japanese word 'tamaru' which means to accumulate or to collect, which is what exactly this is, a liquid collected or accumulated on top of the miso kegs during the preparation of miso.

This flavoring and seasoning liquid became so popular that soon it was being used domestically as a regular seasoning. Its demand increased steadily, and it was being produced commercially in the Yuasa regions by late 1200s. It became so popular that even poets started praising about its color, fragrance, taste and flavor in their writings

Later during the Muramachi period, extensive research and experiments were done on different types of hishio, miso and tamari, different methods of producing it, the proportion of different ingredients used, etc. As a result improved methods of producing these seasonings and and improved final products were developed. During this same period, better equipment and methods were also developed to extract more tamari from the miso by pressing the miso paste. Prior to this, only excess liquid accumulated on top was ladled off for use as a seasoning liquid, whereas in this period, a method to press and extract more liquid from the miso paste was developed. This development became a very important step in the production of shoyu.

During the period between the late 1500s and the mid-1600s, much of the soy sauce formerly called "tamari" gradually came to be known as "tamari-shoyu."

The first written record of the word 'shoyu' in Japan appeared in 1559 in a book called Kototsugu Yoki, which is actually a diary like book of the author Kototsugu. Later in 1597, the word 'shoyu' was published in a Japanese dictionary. Though shoyu appeared in late 1500s, it is believed that both the word shoyu and its use may have been in use much earlier along with tamari-shoyu. But it is unclear as to how shoyu was different from its predecessors, tamari, miso-damari, tare-miso, and usutare.

Tamari is the term that refers to the liquid extracted from the soybean hishio or Kinzanji miso. But later, the liquid extracted from Kinzanji miso came to be known as tamari-shoyu, and the term tamari exclusively referred to the liquid extracted from the soybean hishio.

From early 1600s, the production and use of tamari-shoyu increased steadily that it is being prepared in and around many places like Kanto or eastern Japan, Kansai or western Japan, Nagoya or central Japan, Yuasa area, Choshi, etc. Shoyu was also used to pay taxes in Yuasa and the shoyu makers were protected by the feudal lords and enjoyed special benefits.

During the Edo Period (1603-1867), starting in mid 1600s, more experiments were done to improve tamari-shoyu in Chosi. First, grains like wheat and barley were added to the hishio, but very soon the manufacturers discovered that using roasted and cracked wheat along with soybeans added a very special fragrance, richer aroma and a sweetish taste to the tamari-shoyu. As it is distinctively different from tamari-shoyu in color, fragrance, taste and aroma, it was given a new name to differentiate it from tamari-shoyu and was called shoyu. Shoyu had a naturally darker color and richer aroma due to the use of roasted and cracked wheat, and this darker shoyu was called koikuchi shoyu (koikuchi in Japanese meaning 'dark mouth') or namashoyu (unpasteurized or fresh shoyu).

Thus, the namashoyu that we know today came into existence that is made from equal amounts of soybeans and roasted and cracked wheat along with salt and water.

Today, this Japanese soy sauce or namashoyu is mostly produced and distributed in Japan and other parts of the world by the Kikkoman Corporation. And now we are proud to present our own 100% Organic TTS Nama Shoyu.