Kakukyu Hatcho Miso – Centuries of Tradition in Okazaki
Jun 19,2025
Jun 19,2025
In 1645, as calm was restored to the country following the unrest and upheavals of the Sengoku period (1467 to 1615) and the culture of the Edo period (1603 to 1868) began to flourish on many fronts, Kakukyu went into business. In the 380 years since, Kakukyu has adhered to its meticulous production methods, safeguarding its enduring flavor, while always exploring the potential of hatcho miso, beloved by scores of people. We spoke with Vice President Hayakawa Shogo to learn about the company’s saga.
Kakukyu is run today by Hayakawa Kyuemon, the 19th-generation owner. We were surprised at the longevity of the company’s history, now in its 19th generation, counting from the first owner, also named Kyuemon, who settled in Okazaki, Aichi, after the 1560 Battle of Okehazama. Hayakawa Shogo, however, noted, “The current head of the Tokugawa family also dates back 19 generations to Tokugawa Ieyasu [the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate].” He then went on to describe the history of hatcho miso and Kakukyu.
“While Tokugawa Ieyasu was serving as a retainer to Imagawa Yoshimoto [a daimyo feudal lord during the Sengoku period], an ancestor of the Hayakawa family, Hayakawa Shinrokuro Katsuhisa, was also a retainer to the Imagawa clan. After the Battle of Okehazama, in which the Imagawa clan was defeated, Lord Ieyasu barely escaped with his life to Daiju-ji temple in Okazaki. At the same time, Hayakawa Shinrokuro Katsuhisa fled to Gansho-ji temple in Okazaki. There, he gave up his samurai life, changed his name to Hayakawa Kyuemon, and learned miso-making. He later moved to Hatcho-mura [now incorporated in the city of Okazaki as Hatcho-cho] and founded the company in 1645.”
Hayakawa Shogo, vice president of Hatcho Miso Limited Partnership (which trades under the name Kakukyu)
Eight cho (870 meters) west of Okazaki Castle, the birthplace of Tokugawa Ieyasu, lies present-day Hatcho-cho, which is home to two miso breweries. One of these is Kakukyu. The miso produced here is named hatcho miso after the area. The two breweries both continue to make miso using traditional methods passed down from Edo times.
“Hatcho-cho, with Okazaki Castle to the east, is located right next to the Yahagi River. Sandwiched between the Yahagi and Oto rivers, the area tends to be hot and humid. It was also once a busy thoroughfare along the old Tokaido Road. The presence of the Yahagi River made the Hatcho area ideal for transporting ingredients like soybeans and salt.
“The high levels of humidity, however, meant it was imperative to make miso that wouldn’t spoil easily. The humid conditions inspired the creation of hatcho miso, made with very low moisture content. Hatcho miso was then transported to Edo [today’s Tokyo] via the old Tokaido Road.”
Although many varieties of miso are produced throughout Japan, hatcho miso, developed by just two miso breweries in the Hatcho area, is well known across the country. Hayakawa gave us a possible theory why hatcho miso is so widely known. “One explanation is that regions that produce good miso tend to have strong military commanders. Because hatcho miso resists spoilage and preserves well, it was likely seen as an excellent military provision. Hatcho miso was used by the Okazaki Domain and later, as former subordinates of the Okazaki Domain dispersed across the country and became feudal lords of various castles, hatcho miso spread to Edo and then from Edo to many different parts of the country.”
Many people might immediately think of red miso when they hear the name hatcho miso. It’s true that hatcho miso does have a redder color than Shinshu and other common miso varieties fermented with malted rice. However, as Hayakawa explains, people tend to confuse miso classifications based on color and those based on ingredients.
“It’s not wrong to say hatcho miso is red miso, but the red miso category includes rice miso varieties, barley miso varieties, and soybean miso varieties, such as hatcho miso. Conversely, there is no such thing as white soybean miso.
“What sets soybean miso varieties apart is that they are aged for very long periods of time, during which their color deepens. Therefore, all soybean miso varieties are red miso. So depending on the classification, our hatcho miso is both a soybean miso and a red miso.”
We next asked Hayakawa to walk us through the process of making hatcho miso.
“We start by soaking the soybeans in water. Once they have fully absorbed water, the soybeans are steamed, mashed, and formed into solid chunks. Koji mold is then propagated on these soybean chunks. In the case of regular soybean miso, koji mold is applied to soybean chunks about the size of your thumb. But for hatcho miso from Okazaki, the chunks are much larger.”
With miso varieties made with rice koji, the soybeans are usually only simmered since the koji mold is applied to rice. But with hatcho miso, the koji mold is applied directly to the soybeans, so steaming the soybeans makes it easier for the koji mold to propagate. And unlike rice koji, where only part of the rice becomes koji, all the soybean inoculated turns into koji. This is why the quality of the koji formation has such an impact on the flavor.
“The finished soybean koji is then placed into wooden vats along with brine. Craftsmen then tread on the mixture to push out any air. The treading is done at this point to prevent oxidation and the growth of unwanted bacteria.”
Another big distinction of Kakukyu miso is that the company still uses wooden vats to this day. Constructed with Yoshino cedar, the wooden vats are designed to hold six tons of miso each.
“After filling a wooden vat, we stack stones on top. For six tons of miso, we place three tons of stones on top, which works out to between 350 and 400 individual stones, both large and small. The sight of these stacked stones is unique to hatcho miso produced in the traditional way. Stacking this many stones is essential to making miso with low moisture content. If the miso has plenty of moisture, then you wouldn’t need this much weight.
“The enormous pressure applied by stacking so many stones ensures the minimal moisture content of Okazaki hatcho miso is uniformly distributed throughout the entire vat. Stacking stones in this cone shape is unique to the two miso breweries that make miso here in Hatcho-mura.”
Stones stacked by veteran workers are said to remain perfectly motionless
The stacking work is done by workers who place one stone at a time by hand.
“Our workers must be highly skilled in both making soybean koji and stacking stones. It takes about 10 years until someone is fully proficient in both. Apprentices begin their training by selecting suitable stones and handing them to senior workers who stack them on the wooden vats. Since the stones we gather from the river vary greatly in size and shape, it takes time to develop the skill to select on the spot the right stone for the right position.
“We train our workers in stages. But they are only full trained once they can handle everything from koji-making to stone-stacking. If we were to train workers on just one or two specialized skills, the company could lose those skills the moment the person leaves. This is why we train our workers in every technique to ensure the techniques will be passed on to future generations.”
The job is demanding in terms of both physical strength and experience. Very few breweries today perform such laborious manual operations. Hayakawa stresses just how important to the brewery it is to develop workers who master all the various techniques and can be relied on.
“After the stones have been stacked on top of the wooden vats, we let the miso age for over two years inside our wooden warehouse without temperature controls. Among all miso varieties, hatcho miso is aged for an extra-long time. We could speed up the process by aging it at a higher temperature, but our brewery is particular about letting our miso brew naturally. The delicious hatcho miso flavor is achieved by waiting for it to develop, slowly and naturally.”
Kakukyu transformed a former warehouse, where miso was once aged and soybean koji produced, into a museum. Inside, displays illustrate the history of the company, including tools and equipment used to produce miso and documents attesting to the company’s status as a purveyor to the Imperial Household Department / Agency.
“Kakukyu’s wooden brewing vats are large, with a diameter at the bottom of about 1.8 meters and a height of around 1.8 meters. These sizes are equivalent to six shaku in the old measurement system, which is why they are called six-shaku vats. This vat here was made in 1839, about 190 years ago. If you look closely, you can see the year it was made carved into the bottom. We still use vats made over 180 years ago in our regular production process.”
The barrel maker’s name and year the vat was made are carved into the bottom
Saké, soy sauce, miso, and other fermented products all used to be made in wooden vats or barrels. Vats used in saké breweries would be passed on to soy sauce or miso breweries and continue to be used with great care for many decades.
“We insist on wooden vats because they harbor the microorganisms that bring out the flavor of our miso. They also play a vital role in passing these microorganisms along from generation to generation,” explains Hayakawa.
The wooden vats, however, cannot be used forever. With fewer and fewer wooden barrel craftsman remaining, Kakukyu makes a point of continuing to order vats from current craftsmen to encourage them to stay in the trade and in business for as long as possible.
“We place orders for a number of new vats each year. We do this because wooden barrel craftsmen are indispensable for our business to continue. In recent years, saké breweries and soy sauce breweries have also been reconsidering the value of wooden vats, and some breweries that switched to stainless steel barrels are now trying out wooden vats again.”
More young people are going into the wooden barrel trade as a result of this recent trend. To ensure that traditional production methods are passed on requires not just the breweries that produce the fermented foods but also the craftsmen who fashion the tools and equipment.
Kakukyu crafts its miso while sticking to traditional production methods. It has also been fully engaged in exporting its miso for over half a century, creating loyal customers around the world. A single book in the museum’s archives played an outsized role in driving the overseas expansion of miso.
“Titled The Book Of Miso, the book was written by an American who married a Japanese woman. The author, thoroughly impressed by goodness of miso, visited miso breweries all over the country and compiled information on breweries nationwide, along with some 400 miso recipes, in the book. It was first published in the U.S. in 1976, and its acclaim helped introduce miso to an international audience and led to an increase in overseas visitors to our brewery. The cover prominently displays the characters for hatcho miso. It also depicts hatcho miso separately from red miso, and I think this shows that the author recognized how hatcho miso’s production method is unique among all miso varieties.”
The Book Of Miso features hatcho miso among the miso varieties depicted on the cover
Other exhibits at the museum include stones from Antarctica, sent as a token of gratitude after hatcho miso was selected as a preserve to take on an Antarctica expedition because of its long shelf life. There are also records of orders and letters from celebrities who were fans of hatcho miso. Visitors can learn about the traditional hatcho miso production process as well as its history of being adored by many people.
After the miso brewery and museum, we were guided to the adjoining store. Besides offering hatcho miso and red miso stock with the flavor of hatcho miso, the store sells a wide variety of collaborative products, such as udon and ramen noodles simmered in hatcho miso as well as hatcho miso-flavored sweets. Hayakawa says he wants more people to experience the taste of hatcho miso.
“Japan’s food culture is gradually changing, and our population is on the decline. There is probably nothing we can do to reverse these trends. It’s long been said, however, that our food culture is a prime contributor to the longevity of the Japanese people. Moreover, fermented foods have been gaining renewed attention in recent years. I hope that Japan’s food culture, starting with miso, continues to be cherished by many people. I think it would be wonderful if our hatcho miso could be a piece of this renaissance.”
Production of this organic hatcho miso, using scarce domestic organic soybeans, is limited to one vat per year
Powdered hatcho miso is created by freeze-drying hatcho miso to remove just the moisture content. Powdered hatcho miso has many uses, such as sprinkling it on natto [fermented soybeans] or having it with sweets.
At the end of our conversation, Hayakawa shared his thoughts about Kakukyu’s resilience and future direction.
“Our history reveals that Kakukyu has had to overcome many hardships over the 380 years since our founding, while continuing to produce hatcho miso in this location. Regulations concerning miso were rewritten numerous times through the Edo and Meiji periods. And during wartime, we were ordered to produce simple, cheap miso. We endured by suspending operations, because we knew this would sever the continuity of our craft. In more recent times, we have faced challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic and issues with Japan’s geographical indication protection system. Our strength lies in having prevailed through these hardships to reach this point.
“Our aim, going forward, is to pass along not only our traditional hatcho miso production method but also its culture and spirit to future generations for the next 100 and 200 years. To achieve this in our rapidly changing world, we have to take the initiative to help people discover the deliciousness of miso and become fans of miso. We are putting resources into creating new innovative products even as we continue to produce our current products with the utmost care.”
Kakukyu Hatcho Miso Limited Partnership (tours, outlet store, and restaurant)