Discover godo: A Traditional Fermented Food from Towada
Apr 10,2025
Apr 10,2025
In this ongoing series, we ask food professionals for their top recommended fermented foods. Our guest this time is Takaya Kenichi, owner of Nihonshu-ya [literally, House of Saké], an izakaya pub that specializes in saké. His choice is godo, a fermented food known only to a few foodies even in his native Aomori. Godo is made by mixing natto [fermented soybeans], koji [rice malt], and salt. The charm of godo lies in how its flavor changes over time. Once you make it, you might just fall in love with its simplicity and deliciousness.
Nihonshu-ya, as its name suggests, is an izakaya, located in the Kichijoji district of Tokyo, that specializes in saké.
“I often hear people say saké is difficult to drink or hard to get into. Others believe that saké gives you bad hangovers. But saké today has become incredibly delicious. I learned how to cook in my own self-taught way to get people to enjoy saké in a more delicious fashion. As I created more dishes, I increasingly incorporated fermentation and aging, as well as the wisdom of preserved foods from my roots in Aomori.”
The owner of Nihonshu-ya, Takaya Kenichi, speaks in a gentle tone.
He pairs a wide variety of dishes, blending Japanese and Western flavors, with warmed saké, such as squid shiokara [fermented squid viscera], liver confit, and monkfish liver pâté. Items featuring fermented meats and aged fish also appear on his menu.
Owner Takaya Kenichi opened Nihonshu-ya in 2009, when restaurants specializing in saké were still few and far between
“Saké contains a far greater variety of amino acids than other alcoholic beverages. Pairing delicious saké with delicious food creates a synergistic effect that makes both taste even better. Since it’s made by fermenting rice, saké naturally goes well with fermented foods. I recommend having saké warm. Serving it at above body temperature reduces the burden on your stomach and intestines, making the next day much easier. Warmed saké really does help prevent hangovers — that’s the honest truth. [laughs]”
Simply mix all the ingredients together. Make a big batch and enjoy how the taste evolves over time.
Takaya, who serves various fermented food dishes at his izakaya, vouches for godo, saying, “It’s easy to make at home and it’s super delicious.”
Godo is a local dish passed down in the Towada region of Aomori. Until very recently, this fermented food was eaten only in a very limited area and known only to a select few, even within the prefecture, let alone outside it.
“In summer, it’s ready to eat in two to three days; in colder seasons, it takes around a week. Fermentation continues to progress slowly after this time, so once it reaches your preferred taste, move it to the refrigerator to slow down the bacteria activity. The longer it ferments, the more idiosyncratic the flavor becomes, so I recommend refrigerating it around the three-week mark.”
Takaya’s favorite natto is Tanimachi Natto from Rakudazaka Natto Kobo (left). For his koji, he uses the reasonable and easy-to-use Miyako Koji (right).
Surprisingly, Takaya learned about godo only a few years ago. He happened to find out about it after an acquaintance launched a natto atelier.
“For the food I serve in my izakaya, I use Tanimachi Natto from Rakudazaka Natto Kobo in Osaka. Itogawa, the owner, used to run a saké-specialty izakaya and is kind of a mentor to me. He started an atelier in 2021 to sell his homemade natto, which was one of his izakaya’s signature dishes. His natto is truly delicious. As I ordered more and more of it, I started thinking, ‘Natto this good could be used in all kinds of dishes.’ So I looked again into local dishes from Aomori, where I’m from, and discovered godo.”
Godo is a traditional dish local to Towada in southern Aomori. Takaya, who hails from the Tsugaru region in the west of the prefecture, says he first learned of its existence through an internet search.
“Towada godo is made by hand from natto. Yabe Seiko, who works to promote Tohoku’s fermented food culture, still carries on that traditional method. I’ve adapted that traditional method while studying books by Yabe and others as well as the Agricultural Culture Association.”
From left: Godo freshly prepared, after one week, and after six months. As the fermentation progresses, the godo matures, changing in both color and flavor.
Godo fermented for about a week develops a mellow, cheese-like umami. The extra-aged godo, fermented at room temperature for three weeks and then left in the refrigerator for about six months, has a deep, complex flavor — a miso-like umami with added acidity.
“I’d heard that the natto bacteria are very strong, so I was a little concerned whether the koji mold would actually do anything. But that worry was completely unfounded. Both work nicely together to mature the godo, which is interesting. It’s great with rice or as a spread on baguettes or crackers. Godo can be used as a pickling bed too. If you pickle salted vegetables or raw fish in godo, the fermented umami will add an interesting delicious twist. I highly recommend it.”
Have a cup of saké with other snacks alongside godo that harness the power of fermentation
“At my izakaya, I serve many kinds of dishes that make use of fermentation, and the reasons are very simple: It’s easier for me and there’s no waste.”
Making fermented foods requires time and effort to salt the ingredients and remove moisture.
“Those things are certainly true, but you can use fermented foods when you want them, rather than when it suits the growers’ circumstances. For example, in summer, farmers deliver huge amounts of cucumbers and tomatoes. Trying to eat them all while fresh is quite a challenge. The fridge gets packed to the brim. But if you pickle them or dry them, they can be stored at room temperature and taste great even six months or a year later. Preparing ingredients when they’re available means you don’t have to shop daily and reduces waste. For me, making fermented foods is about relaxing and easing off on the pressure.”
Takaya started making godo because he had a lot of delicious natto on hand. His approach to fermentation is very natural and makes perfect sense.
Takaya’s homemade fermented snacks. Clockwise from left: Shiokara oysters prepared the previous winter, turnips pickled in saké lees and salted koji, and pumpkin coleslaw topped with homemade whole-grain mustard sauce.
“Fermentation is ultimately a means to an end. I don’t ferment things necessarily to make them delicious; I do it to consume as much as possible of what I have in large quantities. And they do turn out to be delicious in the end. [laughs] I imagine it must have been the same for people in the past. In an era without refrigeration technology or transportation networks, the wisdom of fermentation, aging, sun-drying, and other preservation techniques arose from figuring out how to survive the winter without harvests and how to preserve what was gathered during harvest season. Since opening my izakaya, I’ve been reexamining and learning about regional preserved foods with the same mindset.”
Takaya holds an annual event called Operating Without Refrigerators in Midsummer. He prepares ingredients procured a week before the event using fermentation, pickling, and other techniques.
“Taking advantage of fermentation really boosts your survival skills. Even if the power goes out for a while, you can still eat. [laughs]”
In our next article in this series, we will feature Yasuda Kaori, a culinary expert who helps Takaya with the Operating Without Refrigerators in Midsummer event. Be sure to look out for Yasuda’s fermented food recommendation.
owner of Nihonshu-ya
Born in Aomori Prefecture in 1979, Takaya transitioned into the food and beverage industry after working as a systems engineer. After a decade of training at various restaurants, he opened Nihonshu-ya in 2009. This cozy spot, where you can enjoy carefully curated saké and delicious food, is popular with saké enthusiasts and novices alike.
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