Interview with company president Tomio Kusudo and store manager Katsuyuki Washino
Tabi no Kusuribako is visited by both local residents and tourists.
We spoke with company president Tomio Kusudo and store manager Katsuyuki Washino about the shop’s distinctive features and products.
Launching Tabi no Kusuribako with the support of Yoshida Laboratory
Could you tell us how the shop came to open?
Kusudo (honorifics omitted)
People are becoming more health-conscious, and natural foods, vegan food, and fermented foods are attracting attention. I thought it would be good to offer things that are good for the body, including fermented foods and koji.
I myself developed colon cancer five years ago (2017), and that experience made me more health-conscious.
It was caught early, so it was stage zero, which was good, but the period after the surgery was difficult.
I kept getting bowel obstructions and rushing to the hospital.
As I thought about my health, I began paying attention to familiar pickles, one kind of fermented food.
The shop is produced by Yoshida Ai of Yoshida Laboratory. She is a fermentation meister and also runs fermentation classes.
So we asked her to help us from the very beginning. Yoshida is my daughter, and the store manager is my son.
Was Mr. Kusudo the reason Ms. Yoshida became interested in fermentation?
Kusudo
I wonder. I think our interests just happened to coincide.
We didn’t decide from the outset that we were going to open a fermentation shop and then pursue it.
Washino (honorifics omitted)
Yoshida started her classes five years ago (2017).
Yoshida also entered the world of koji after experiencing health problems.
The appeal of koji
Did your health change after taking koji?
Kusudo
I haven’t had a bowel obstruction even once since I started drinking black koji.
I hardly ever have to rush to the hospital anymore.
Black koji is used to make shochu in Kyushu and Okinawa, and it is not very common in Okayama.
Washino
We make our black koji by hand.
For people who don’t like sour flavors and for children, mixing it with milk makes it taste like yogurt and easier to drink.
At our shop, we serve it mixed with amazake or milk.
Kusudo
I like sour flavors, so I drink it straight.
Washino
The sour component is citric acid, which helps energize the body.
Black koji is rich in citric acid, and is also said to have four times the enzymes of ordinary koji.
Enzymes help digest and break down food.
Marinating meat in koji before cooking breaks down its protein. This breakdown works in the same way as digestion in the stomach.
Meat marinated in koji puts less strain on a weakened digestive system, so I wonder if that’s why my father stopped having bowel obstructions.
Why do you sell koji by weight in bottles?
Washino
When the temperature rises, fermentation progresses, and when a larger surface area is exposed to air, unwanted bacteria can get in more easily.
We settled on selling it by weight in bottles to prevent the enzymes from becoming inactive (losing their function).
Kusudo
The black koji is made at Yoshida Laboratory, while the other fermented seasonings and amazake are homemade here.
What got you interested in fermentation, Mr. Washino?
Washino
My older sister has worked in fermentation for a long time, so I knew about it and had tasted the products.
But I wasn’t interested in fermentation at all until this shop opened.
After opening the shop, I kept drinking black koji and began to notice changes in my body.
This is just my personal impression, but after three months of drinking it, I noticed that the unevenness in my skin had disappeared.
Customers tell me the same thing—that their skin has become clearer.
From there, I got more and more hooked and began studying koji in earnest.
Where did the shop’s name come from?
Kusudo
This is a tourist area, so we chose “Tabi” (travel).
Medicine is something that makes the body healthy, right? That’s how we came up with “Tabi no Kusuribako” (Travel Medicine Box).
Washino
We want to support the health of local people and travelers through our takeaway drinks and products.
We’ve heard that people often become unwell while traveling, so we hope our products can help them feel better.
Could you tell us about the soft serve? Does the koji remain alive even when frozen?
Washino
The soft serve contains koji, and its enzymes help with digestion and improving the intestinal environment.
Enzymes are made of protein and are sensitive to heat, which alters them, but low temperatures are not a problem.
They are dormant, but remain active.
It depends on the enzyme, but generally, when exposed to heat of around 65 degrees or higher, its activity stops.
Heating it doesn’t mean it has no effect; even dead bacteria become food for beneficial bacteria.
In turn, this has a beneficial effect on the intestines.
A shop where you can easily enjoy and buy fermented foods
Why did you develop soft serve?
Kusudo
It gets hot during that season, so people probably want something cold.
Washino
There may be soft serve made with amazake, but as far as I could find, this may be the first soft serve made with black koji amazake.
So we made soft serve with black koji amazake.
Was developing it difficult?
Kusudo
We’re also testing a salt-koji soft serve. It was a complete failure.
When we added salt, the temperature dropped suddenly and it froze inside.
We look forward to seeing the finished product.
Do you find the products displayed in the shop yourselves?
Kusudo
We all go out to different places, and if we find something good, we start carrying it.
Washino
We mainly stock products with few additives, that are gentle on the body, or that are made using traditional methods.
We mainly stock products from Okayama, and plan to add more in the future.
“Growing the fermentation community”
Do you have any goals for the future?
Washino
Fermentation may seem like a complex and difficult world with a lot to learn.
I think people may see it as a world that’s a little hard to get into.
I think it’s gradually becoming better known, but it seems many people don’t take the next step of making things themselves.
We want to make it easy for those people to use koji, make their cooking taste better, and spread the benefits of koji to the world.
We want to grow the “fermentation community” and help more people become healthier.
We hope this place can become a hub for growing the fermentation community.
We want young people to learn about it, too. This is also my sister’s wish.
Kusudo
If anyone is having health problems, I’d like to make recommendations based on my own experience, too.
Okayama has a pleasant climate, mountains and sea, and an abundance of food.
We want visitors to learn about the food of Okayama. And we hope they’ll learn about koji along the way.
Okayama has 40 sake breweries, making sake, one type of fermented food, and we want people to try it, so we carry some of it.
Washino
Koji has been a fundamental part of Japanese life. It’s used to make soy sauce, miso, and sake.
Koji is the basis for most seasonings loved by Japanese people.
I think everyone knows that fermented foods are good for the body.
But I think many people don’t know specifically how to eat them.
Kusudo
We plan to share recipes in the future, and offer samples of the things we make.
We want to introduce fermented foods in a way that’s easier to understand.
Washino
Women make up most of those interested in fermented foods.
They don’t seem to be very well known among men, but I think young people might be interested in soft serve.
It seems to be getting attention on social media now, and local people sometimes come specifically for the soft serve.
We’d be happy if that got them interested in koji, too.
From the Writer
Through the interview, I learned not only about The Travel Medicine Chest, but also about fermented foods, koji, and enzymes.
Although results vary from person to person, there are many benefits, such as aiding digestion, improving gut health, and promoting beautiful skin.
The Travel Medicine Chest’s takeout menu contains no sugar and has a gentle sweetness from koji, so it goes down easily.
Fermented foods are delicious and good for your health—a win-win.
If you think cooking with them is difficult, we recommend starting by trying the takeout menu.
You might discover the world of fermentation.
The Travel Medicine Chest details
| Name | The Travel Medicine Chest |
|---|---|
| Address | 5-15 Honmachi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-454-5636 |
| Parking | None |
| Hours | 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Monday Open if Monday is a public holiday |
| Payment methods |
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| Smoking | Entirely non-smoking |
| Restroom | No restroom |
| Website | The Travel Medicine Chest |
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