Marumi Koji Honten 〜 Bringing out the natural power of ingredients: making koji and miso inspired by nature, with a focus on ingredients and methods of production

Marumi Koji Honten is a shop in northern Soja City that makes and sells koji, miso, and other products.

It began about 70 years ago as a local koji shop. Today, it makes a variety of products using koji, including miso and amazake, as well as koji itself.

Since its founding, the shop has been committed to its ingredients and production methods under the concept of “learning from nature,” making products that help people maintain their health.

Today, Marumi Koji Honten has many fans both inside and outside Okayama Prefecture.
It continues not only to make traditional foods, but also to find ways to make them safe and convenient to eat.

I tried Marumi Koji Honten’s “koji powder,” and found it very convenient and easy to use.
I also liked that its ready-to-drink amazake has just the right consistency and is easy to enjoy.

However, Marumi Koji Honten suffered extensive damage in the July 2018 torrential rains.
As of May 2019, it had overcome this hardship and resumed business.

Here we introduce Marumi Koji Honten, which has risen again after experiencing disaster and continues to make and sell koji, a traditional part of Japanese food culture.

Marumi Koji Honten: a koji shop with 70 years of history

Marumi Koji Honten is in the Showa district in northern Soja City.

It is right near JR Minagi Station.
The premises include a factory and a directly operated shop, where the products are made and sold.

This long-established shop, founded about 70 years ago, specializes in products made with koji, including miso, amazake, and processed foods.

The shop has long been familiar to locals in the Soja area, but in recent years it has also operated an online shop, and people across Japan now buy its products.

Koji shop’s rice-koji amazake and miso [Marumi Koji Honten Online Shop]

The online shop of Marumi Koji Honten, offering rice-koji amazake, miso, and koji. It values making high-quality koji, the foundation of fermented foods, and incorporates binchotan charcoal and ionized water into traditional production methods…

Marumi Koji Honten

Recommended products from Marumi Koji Honten

Marumi Koji Honten carries a wide range of products.

We asked Mr. Hirata of Marumi Koji Honten to tell us which products he recommends.

Miso made with carefully selected ingredients

Miso is Marumi Koji Honten’s most popular product, with the widest variety available.

Marumi Koji Honten takes great care in selecting the ingredients for its miso.

The salt is sun-dried natural crystal salt, with a balanced mineral content.
The soybeans, rice, and barley are also domestically produced, including from Okayama Prefecture.

Another point of care is that binchotan charcoal and electrolyzed ion water are used to remove impurities during miso production.

Marumi Koji Honten’s miso is broadly divided into the following four types:

• Koji miso
• Barley miso
• Red miso
• White miso

▼Among these, “Minagi no Uta” koji miso and “Marumiso” koji miso are especially popular.

There are also processed miso products, such as moromi.

▼Miso-making kits are also popular.

The kit includes beans, fresh koji, salt, and a special container, and costs 2,710 yen (tax included).
There is also a version with a full-size wooden barrel.

“Fresh koji” for making miso and pickles

“Fresh koji” is another popular product from Marumi Koji Honten.

Fresh koji is used to make miso, pickles, and amazake.

According to Mr. Hirata, surprisingly, many of the customers who buy it are young people.
They are interested in food and value the benefits of making things by hand.

Fresh koji comes in a 1.3 kg package and costs 1,402 yen (tax included).

“Koji powder” for an easy way to get enzymes

“Koji powder” is a product developed by Marumi Koji Honten with the aim of making it easy for people to consume koji.

Because it is powdered koji, it is easy to use—just sprinkle it on.
You can sprinkle it over food or use it when preparing ingredients for cooking.

▼Koji powder has only the flavor of rice and no distinct taste of its own, so it does not interfere with the flavor of your food.

Koji is also rich in enzymes.
Another appealing feature of koji powder is that it makes it easy to get enzymes.

“Amazake,” known as a drinkable IV drip

Amazake is also popular.

Amazake is highly nutritious and is known as a “drinkable IV drip.”

Marumi Koji Honten sells several types of amazake in different sizes.

▼Among these, the ready-to-drink type is convenient and recommended, as you can drink it as is without adding water.

▼Since you don’t need to add water yourself, it seemed to have just the right consistency—not too thick or too thin—and just the right sweetness.

“Miracle Miso and Amazake” Made with Ingredients Selected by Mr. Kimura, Known for His “Miracle Apples”

Among Marumi Koji Honten’s products, the “Miracle Miso and Amazake” series is especially noteworthy.

These carefully made products use rice and soybeans grown in Okayama Prefecture using “Kimura-style Natural Farming,” a method taught by Akinori Kimura, an apple farmer in Aomori Prefecture known for his “Miracle Apples.”

Kimura-style Natural Farming uses no pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or organic fertilizers.
Crops grown solely through the power of nature have the vitality of nature itself, and are delicious and safe.

Miracle Amazake comes in both white rice and brown rice varieties.
The white rice amazake is characterized by its stronger sweetness.

Easy, Convenient, and Delicious “Freeze-Dried Miso Soup”

This instant miso soup is made with Marumi Koji Honten’s koji miso, “Minagi no Uta.”

This additive-free product contains no artificial flavorings or preservatives, and uses ingredients sourced in Japan.
We recommend it as an easy way to enjoy delicious miso soup.

The freeze-dried miso soup is available individually or in sets.

Where to Buy Marumi Koji Honten Products

Marumi Koji Honten products are mainly available at the following locations:

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

Tenmaya Department Store and Tenmaya Store sell these products at locations mainly in Okayama Prefecture.
Product selection varies by store, and some stores may not carry certain items.

Some independent shops also carry the products.

Marumi Koji Honten offers a range of appealing products, but it was affected by the July 2018 Heavy Rains. We were able to speak with Mr. Hirata of Marumi Koji Honten about the company’s history and the situation during the disaster.

Interview with Mr. Hirata of Marumi Koji Honten

The History of Marumi Koji Honten

Could you tell us about Marumi Koji Honten’s history and how it was founded?

Mr. Hirata

Marumi Koji Honten was founded at its current location in 1950.
It has a history of about 70 years.

At the time, we were a specialty koji shop. We mainly took in rice from local rice farmers, made rice koji, and returned it to them.
Today, in addition to koji, we manufacture and sell products made with koji, focusing on miso and amazake.

The July 2018 Heavy Rains

The July 2018 Heavy Rains caused extensive damage in Soja’s Showa district as well. Was your store affected?

Mr. Hirata

Marumi Koji Honten is close to the Takahashi River, with a mountain right nearby.

As a result, during the heavy rains, the Takahashi River and irrigation channels overflowed, and water also rushed down from the mountain, causing flooding.
Water rose to about one meter inside the store.

Not only products and ingredients but also equipment was submerged and damaged.
We were fortunate that none of our employees were affected by the disaster or injured or killed.

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

What Makes the Products Special

What makes Marumi Koji Honten’s products special?

Mr. Hirata

The guiding principles behind Marumi Koji Honten’s products are “helping people build good health” and “creating food that supports good health.”

Since our daily diet supports our health, we carefully select our ingredients and production methods to provide delicious, safe products that help our customers stay healthy.

To that end, since our founding we have valued the principle of “learning from nature.”
We make koji and miso by bringing out the full potential of the ingredients.

In recent years, the benefits of koji and fermented foods have been rediscovered, and they have sparked several booms.
As a result, Marumi Koji Honten’s products have attracted attention, and customers sometimes visit the store from outside the prefecture.

We also run an online shop, and now receive inquiries from all over Japan.
We are very grateful for this.

From the Writer

It is said that in modern Japan, people have fewer opportunities to eat foods made with koji due to the Westernization of the Japanese diet.

However, koji has long been part of Japanese life and has continued to support our health.

Marumi Koji Honten not only continues to sell traditional koji, but also makes products that are delicious, convenient, and safe to eat.

Marumi Koji Honten products are also available through its official online shop.
Why not rediscover this traditional Japanese health food?

Marumi Koji Honten Information

Name	Marumi Koji Honten
Address	1825-3 Minagi, Soja City, Okayama Prefecture
Contact	0120-191-1028
Parking	Available 3 spaces
Business hours	8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Closed	Sundays and public holidays
Payment methods	Cash PayPay accepted
Reservations	Accepted Products can be reserved by phone
Seating	None
Smoking	Entirely non-smoking
Accessibility	No steps; wheelchair access available
Website	Marumi Koji Honten’s commitment to additive-free, domestically produced miso and koji. Soja City, Okayama Prefecture

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