Marumi Koji Honten - Bringing out the inherent power of ingredients. Naturally learning the art of koji and miso making with a focus on materials and methods.

Marumi Koji Honten is a store that manufactures and sells koji, miso, and other products located in the northern part of Soja City.

It started about 70 years ago as a local koji shop, and now it produces a variety of products using koji, including miso and amazake.

Since its founding, it has adhered to the concept of "learning from nature," focusing on materials and methods to create products that contribute to health.

Currently, Marumi Koji Honten has many fans both inside and outside Okayama Prefecture.
Not only do they continue to produce traditional foods, but they are also making efforts to ensure that these can be enjoyed safely and easily.

I actually tried Marumi Koji Honten's product "Koji Powder," and I found it very easy and convenient to use.
Additionally, the straight type of amazake is pleasantly drinkable with just the right thickness.

However, Marumi Koji Honten was affected by the heavy rain disaster in July 2018 and suffered significant damage.
As of May 2019, they have overcome the hardships of the disaster and have resumed operations.

Despite experiencing a disaster, I would like to introduce Marumi Koji Honten, which has risen again to manufacture and sell koji, a part of Japan's traditional food culture.

Marumi Koji Honten: A 70-Year-Old Established Koji Shop

Marumi Koji Honten is located in the Showa District in the northern part of Soja City.

The location is very close to JR Minagi Station.
On the premises, there is a factory and a directly managed store, where manufacturing and sales take place.

As an established shop with about 70 years of history, its main products are those made with koji, including miso, amazake, and processed goods.

It has long been a familiar shop in the local Soja area, but in recent years it has also been operating an online shop, allowing people from all over the country to purchase its products.

Koji Shop's Rice Koji Amazake and Miso [Marumi Koji Honten Online Shop]

Online shop for rice koji amazake, miso, and koji (koji, 糀) from "Marumi Koji Honten." We value the creation of high-quality koji, which is the basis of fermented foods, incorporating binchotan charcoal and ion water into traditional methods...

Marumi Koji Honten

Recommended Products from Marumi Koji Honten

Marumi Koji Honten offers a wide variety of products.

Therefore, I asked Mr. Hirata from Marumi Koji Honten to tell me about their recommended products.

Miso with a Focus on Ingredients

The most popular and diverse product at Marumi Koji Honten is miso.

Marumi Koji Honten's miso is particular about its ingredients.

They use sun-dried natural crystal salt for its mineral balance.
Additionally, they use domestic products for soybeans, rice, and barley, sourced from Okayama Prefecture and other areas.

Furthermore, they are particular about using binchotan charcoal and electronic ion water in the miso-making process to remove impurities.

Marumi Koji Honten's miso is mainly classified into the following four types.

• Koji Miso
• Barley Miso
• Red Miso
• White Miso

▼ Among them, the "Minagi no Uta" Koji Miso and "Marumiso" Koji Miso are particularly popular.

There are also miso processed products such as moromi.

▼ Additionally, the miso-making set is popular.

The set includes beans, nama koji, salt, and even a special bucket, priced at 2,710 yen (tax included).
There are also options with authentic wooden buckets.

"Nama Koji" for Miso and Pickles Making

"Nama Koji" is also a popular product from Marumi Koji Honten.

Nama koji is used when making miso, pickles, and amazake.

According to Mr. Hirata, surprisingly, the customer demographic is mostly young people.
They are interested in food and are particular about the benefits of handmade products.

Nama koji is available in a 1.3kg package for 1,402 yen (tax included).

"Koji Powder" for Easy Enzyme Intake

"Koji (糀) Powder" is a product developed by Marumi Koji Honten with the desire for people to easily consume koji.

Since it is a powdered type of koji, it is easy to use by simply sprinkling it.
You can sprinkle it on meals or use it in food preparation.

▼ The Koji Powder has only the flavor of rice and does not interfere with the taste of the dish.

Additionally, koji is rich in enzymes.
The Koji Powder's ability to easily provide enzymes is also appealing.

Amazake, Known as a Drinkable Drip

Amazake is also popular.

Amazake is highly nutritious and is referred to as "drinkable drip."

Marumi Koji Honten sells several types of amazake depending on the variety and content.

▼ Among them, the straight type, which can be consumed without adding water, is convenient and highly recommended.

▼ Since you don't have to add water yourself, the concentration is just right, neither too thick nor too thin, and the sweetness is also just right.

Using materials supervised by Mr. Kimura, known for the miracle apple: "Miracle Miso and Sweet Sake"

Among the products of Marumi Koji Honten, the "Miracle Miso and Sweet Sake" series is particularly noteworthy.

This is a carefully crafted product using rice and soybeans grown in Okayama Prefecture under the "Kimura-style Natural Farming" supervised by Mr. Akino Kimura, a farmer known for the "Miracle Apple" from Aomori Prefecture.

In Kimura-style Natural Farming, no pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or organic fertilizers are used.
Crops grown solely by the power of nature possess the inherent vitality of nature, making them delicious and safe.

The miracle sweet sake comes in both white rice and brown rice varieties.
The white rice sweet sake is characterized by its stronger sweetness.

Easy, convenient, and delicious "Freeze-Dried Miso Soup"

This is an instant miso soup made using Marumi Koji Honten's koji miso "Minagino Uta".

It is an additive-free product that does not use chemical seasonings or preservatives, and the ingredients are domestically sourced.
It is recommended for enjoying delicious miso soup easily.

The freeze-dried miso soup is available for individual sale and set sale.

Stores that handle Marumi Koji Honten products

The stores that handle Marumi Koji Honten products are mainly as follows:

• Marumi Koji Honten
• Marumi Koji Honten Takahashi Direct Sales Office
• Marumi Koji Honten Online Shop
• Tenmaya Department Store
• Tenmaya Store (Happy Town, Happy Mart, Happies)

Tenmaya Department Store and Tenmaya Store are sold mainly in Okayama Prefecture.
Please note that the number of products available may vary by store, and some stores may not carry certain items.

Additionally, some individual shops also carry their products.

Marumi Koji Honten offers a range of attractive products, but it was affected by the heavy rain disaster in July 2018.
I was able to hear about the history of Marumi Koji Honten and the situation during the disaster from Mr. Hirata of Marumi Koji Honten.

Interview with Mr. Hirata of Marumi Koji Honten

About the history of Marumi Koji Honten

Please tell us about the history of Marumi Koji Honten and its founding.

Hirata

Marumi Koji Honten was founded in 1950 (Showa 25) at its current location.
It has a history of approximately 70 years.

At that time, it operated as a koji specialty store, mainly receiving rice from local rice farmers and producing rice koji to return to them.
Currently, in addition to koji, it manufactures and sells products centered around miso and sweet sake.

About the heavy rain disaster in July 2018

The heavy rain disaster in July 2018 caused significant damage in the Showa district of Soja. Did your store experience any impact?

Hirata

Marumi Koji Honten is located near the Takahashi River, with mountains close by.

Therefore, during the heavy rain, the Takahashi River and irrigation channels overflowed, and water flowing down from the mountains caused flooding damage.
The store was flooded to about 1 meter.

Not only products and materials but also equipment was submerged and damaged.
Fortunately, no employees were affected or injured.

Afterward, with the help of employees and volunteers, we were able to clean up and prepare to resume operations.

About the commitment and features of the products

What are the commitments and features of Marumi Koji Honten's products?

Hirata

The commitment and concept of Marumi Koji Honten's products are "Helping to build health" and "Creating food that leads to health."

Since daily meals support health, we focus on ingredients and manufacturing methods to provide delicious and safe products that can help our customers' health.

To achieve this, we have valued the spirit of "Learning from nature" since our founding.
We maximize the inherent power of the ingredients to make koji and miso.

In recent years, the benefits of koji and fermented foods have been reevaluated, leading to several trends.
As a result, Marumi Koji Honten's products have gained attention, and customers from outside the prefecture sometimes visit the store.

We also operate an online shop, and now we receive inquiries from all over the country.
We are very grateful for this.

In conclusion

In modern Japan, it is said that opportunities to eat koji-based foods have decreased due to the Westernization of food.

However, koji has been an integral part of Japanese life since ancient times, continuously supporting our health.

Marumi Koji Honten not only sells traditional koji but also creates products that are delicious, easy to eat, and safe.

Marumi Koji Honten's products are also available for purchase at the official online shop.
Why not take a renewed look at traditional Japanese health foods?

Data on Marumi Koji Honten

Name	Marumi Koji Honten
Address	1825-3 Minagino, Soja City, Okayama Prefecture
Contact	0120-191-1028
Parking	Available 3 cars
Business Hours	8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Regular Holidays	Sunday, Public Holidays
Payment Methods	Cash PayPay is also accepted
Reservation Availability	Available Products can be reserved by phone
Seating	None
Smoking	Completely non-smoking
Barrier-Free	Accessible for wheelchairs due to no steps
Website	Marumi Koji Honten's commitment to additive-free, domestically produced koji and miso. Soja City, Okayama Prefecture

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