Conveying Authentic Japan: Okazaki's Passion for Soy Sauce
July 2, 2026
"I want to convey something authentic."
It is a phrase that Toshihiko Okazaki, the owner of Soy & Co. 1879, repeats often.
“Conveying authentic Japan.”
This phrase is so abstract that it’s often difficult to truly understand. This is the second article in a series aiming to make this concept more concrete.
Walking through Kappabashi, a stylishly packaged soy sauce shop catches your eye — a banner reading "Soy Sauce" fluttering at the entrance. It was a serendipitous discovery during one of my bike tours, and that's where this whole story began.
The shop is called Soy & Co. 1879, which collaborates with the long-established Suehiro Soy Sauce brand, Oginoichi — and has recently introduced Beauty Soy Sauce, a fruit-flavored line. This time, I sat down with Mr. Okazaki to hear about his passion for his soy sauce business.
1. From Fashion to Soy Sauce — The Road to Kappabashi
Training in a different industry
Mr. Okazaki's career started far from soy sauce. After graduating from university, he spent nine years in car sales for Mercedes. He then went independent, running an apparel and shoe shop in Akasaka and Hibiya for over a decade, importing goods from Europe. He would often travel to Italy and France for buying trips, competing directly with department stores and select shops. As competition with major department stores intensified, however, Mr. Okazaki decided it was time for a new challenge, and chose to close the apparel business on good terms.
A relative's closure sparked the change
Having spent years in importing, he next set his sights on exporting. Around that time, soy sauce happened to be close at hand. A relative's long-established shop had for years generated half of Suehiro Soy Sauce's total sales. But when the uncle who ran it, and later his cousin, passed away one after another, the shop closed.
"What a sad story if such a long-lasting brand disappeared."
That feeling was what led Mr. Okazaki into the world of soy sauce.
I had been involved in importing, so I wanted to focus on exporting now. Soy sauce sales happened to be close to me, so I wanted to preserve it and convey its real value.
In 2010, he launched his first soy sauce shop near Gakugei-daigaku Station. That became the origin of what is now Soy & Co. 1879. The shop quickly gained a reputation and was featured on numerous TV programs, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced a temporary closure.
Opening the Kappabashi shop
As the pandemic impacts subsided in 2024, Mr. Okazaki started considering new shop locations. Among several candidates, he chose Kappabashi — a district for restaurant owners and chefs, lined with wholesale shops catering to the food industry. In recent years, it has also drawn a growing number of international visitors shopping for Japanese kitchen knives, making it a fitting location for selling soy sauce.
That may sound like a calculated strategy, but the truth was actually the reverse. He chose the location largely because of an existing connection with a customer there. It was only after opening the shop that international visitors gradually began to increase — turning out to be the perfect place for his desire to "export Japanese things to the world."
2. The Origin of "Conveying Something Authentic"
Most soy sauces sold in supermarkets are produced in just one week to a month. This makes them more affordable and easier to distribute widely, but it also means relying on additives to create umami flavor.
Ogiichi Soy Sauce, by contrast, uses domestic ingredients and takes several months — sometimes over two years — to brew. Mr. Okazaki puts it simply: "I want to convey something authentic."
That's why it’s important to regularly pump in oxygen to keep the microorganisms alive and preserve the flavor. Rather than relying on additives, he values the time it takes to draw out true umami. Looking at the slash-separated additive lists on the back of many supermarket soy sauce bottles, Mr. Okazaki is honest: "When I see that, I even start to wonder if it's even soy sauce anymore." His commitment to authenticity comes through clearly in that remark.
I want to convey products with real craftsmanship as things that represent Japan.
3. The Eye for Presentation, Honed in Fashion
Step into the Kappabashi shop, and the first thing that catches your eye is the packaging design. The sleek, almost Apple-like appearance is no accident — it's a direct result of the sense of presentation Mr. Okazaki developed during his years in the fashion industry. His experience traveling to international trade shows — in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and beyond — also plays a role. The labels carefully balance English and Japanese, conveying not just authenticity but also a distinctly Japanese feel.
4. A New Kind of Soy Sauce: Fruit-Flavored
Mr. Okazaki's latest project is a fruit-flavored soy sauce line. Flavors like banana and strawberry are infused into the soy sauce. It might sound unconventional at first, but thinking through new pairings of soy sauce and ingredients turns out to be genuinely fun. A quick drizzle over salad works well, but personally, I've been excited imagining other combinations too. As Mr. Okazaki explains:
I want to keep developing new offerings alongside our traditional soy sauce.
Since they come in small bottles, they're also popular as gifts — customers often buy them as presents. They're also used at Michelin-listed restaurants.
5. Tasting: A New Kind of Experience
A soy sauce shop where you can actually taste the products before buying is rare in this industry. While most soy sauce makers focus on wholesale and offer only a limited range, Soy & Co. 1879 offers a hands-on tasting experience with multiple soy sauces to try in Kappabashi. This, in itself, is a statement of confidence. The most reliable way to convey the quality of a soy sauce is to let people taste it themselves.
Letting customers confirm the flavor before purchasing benefits both the shop and the customer — and it's only possible because of real confidence in the products. This approach has earned strong recognition, and inquiries from overseas have been steadily increasing. (There's also a connection to guests from my bike tours who stopped by the shop — yes, a nice bonus!)
Many international visitors say that in their home countries, "soy sauce" means just one single type. For them, the chance to try many varieties is a genuine surprise. At first, the shop's customers were almost entirely local, but the share of international visitors has been steadily growing.
After the Interview
From importing to exporting. From fashion to soy sauce. Talking with Mr. Okazaki reaffirmed something I already believed. Whether it's a bottle of soy sauce or a bike tour in Tokyo, the value lies in something authentic. As I went back home through Kappabashi, I found myself thinking about the next 'authentic' story I want to share.
About Soy & Co. 1879
- Shop Name: Soy & Co. 1879
- Shop Location: a backstreet at Kappabashi
- Business: Soy sauce product planning and collaboration with Ogiichi Soy Sauce, tasting, direct retail and online sales
- Website: Official Website
