Crafting Shogun-Selected Barrel Aged Soy Sauce For Over 330 Years

Crafting Shogun-Selected Barrel Aged Soy Sauce For Over 330 Years

From Japan Eats! by Heritage Radio Network

January 15, 2026 · 41 min · Episode 389

About this episode

The episode features Hideatsu Shibanuma discussing the legacy and challenges of his 377-year-old soy sauce company.

Our guest is  Hideatsu Shibanuma  who is the 18th-generation president of Shibanuma Soy Sauce, which was founded in 1688. Shibanuma Soy Sauce has specialized in producing barrel-aged soy sauce in Ibaraki Prefecture for about 370 years.  Its products were so superior that they were served to Shoguns during the Edo period.  Like many other craftsmen-based traditional businesses in Japan, soy sauce manufacturers have faced challenges due to reasons like a declining population and changes in people’s diet.  But Shibanuma Soy Sauce is doing well, thanks to its success in the export markets, with over 60 destinations worldwide.  But it did not happen overnight.  It is the result of Hideatsu’s hard work.  In this episode, we will discuss the key to successfully running the 377-year old soy sauce company, the unique taste of Hideatsu’s barrel-aged soy sauce, why his products have been attracting the attention of top chefs all over the world and much, much more!!! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at…

People in this episode

Guest: Hideatsu Shibanuma

Topics covered

  • soy sauce production
  • Japanese craftsmanship
  • export markets
  • culinary trends
  • traditional businesses
  • food history

Keywords

  • barrel-aged soy sauce
  • Shogun
  • Japanese cuisine
  • food export
  • culinary excellence
  • traditional soy sauce
  • craftsmanship

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Shibanuma Soy Sauce

Places: Ibaraki Prefecture

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