Ito Shoten is a 200-plus-year-old tamari and miso company nestled in Taketoyo, Aichi Prefecture. Currently run by the spry 85-year-old Ito-san (ninth generation) and his grandson (eleventh generation), Ito Shoten uses traditional methods to turn locally grown whole soybeans into tamari and miso.
One aspect of Ito Shoten’s process that makes their tamari so special is the aging. Their tamari is aged for three years in ancient barrels (the youngest is 100 years old…the oldest 200), weighed down by river stones. When you visit, it really feels like you are stepping back in time. This is artisanal production at its finest.
Many American consumers think of tamari as just gluten-free soy sauce. Ito Shoten’s tamari is gluten-free but it wasn’t designed to be that. True tamari is the liquid you get when you press miso. This region, Aichi Prefecture, is known for very dark, rich miso. So naturally Ito Shoten’s tamari has tremendous depth and character, like a fine wine.
Please click here to read about our trip to Ito Shoten.
Click here to shop all of Ito Shoten’s products.