Skip to content
Guida

Tatsumi Jozo Cedar-Vat Soy Sauce, Two Years, 200ml

Two summers in a cedar vat in Yuasa, Wakayama

¥1,980tax included≈ $13

巽醸造 杉桶仕込み 二年醤油 200ml

In stock

Where should we send it?

Quantity
1

Apple Pay and Google Pay accepted

  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • JCB
  • American Express
  • Apple Pay
  • Google Pay

Payment is handled by Stripe. Your card number never reaches us.

Tatsumi Jozo Cedar-Vat Soy Sauce, Two Years, 200ml

¥1,980

Arrives as early as Mon 28 Sept

Shipping ¥990 to most of Japan

  • A Japanese addressYes
  • Your hotel in JapanYes
  • OverseasYes
See shipping cost and timing

Shipping by zone: Anywhere in Japan ¥990 · Domestic shipping is free on orders over ¥15,000.

Asia ¥3,200 / Oceania ¥4,200 / Europe ¥5,400 / North America ¥5,600

Countries: Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, United Kingdom, Germany, France, United States

For overseas delivery, duties and local taxes are paid by the recipient.

You can choose a delivery date and time slot (Japanese addresses only)

What is it?

A dark soy sauce aged two years in hundred-year-old cedar vats by Tatsumi Jozo in Yuasa, Wakayama. Three ingredients: Japanese soybeans, wheat and sun-dried salt. Bottled raw, without heat pasteurisation. 200ml, 16.5% salt. Yuasa is the town generally credited as the birthplace of Japanese soy sauce.

Good for

  • An affordable gift for someone who actually cooks
  • Anyone looking for a bottle whose difference shows on plain sashimi or tofu
  • Sending a friend abroad the fundamental of a Japanese kitchen
  • The extra item that finishes off a larger gift

What does it taste like?

  • A calm nose, with a bright, almost vinegary lift the moment you open it
  • Salt first, then a savoury middle, then a faint sweetness on the finish
  • Reddish deep brown; it does not turn sashimi black
  • 16.5% salt, about the same as a standard dark soy sauce

What's the specification?

Tatsumi Jozo Cedar-Vat Soy Sauce, Two Years, 200ml — What's the specification?
IngredientsSoybeans (Japan, non-GM), wheat (Japan), sun-dried sea salt
Volume200ml
MethodCedar vat, natural fermentation, two years, unpasteurised
Salt16.5%
MakerTatsumi Jozo (Yuasa, Wakayama Prefecture)
Best beforeTwelve months from bottling; three months refrigerated after opening

How do you drink it?

  • 01

    It shows itself on uncooked things: sashimi, cold tofu, rice with a raw egg

  • 02

    A few drops at the end on a grilled rice ball or grilled fish

  • 03

    A quarter teaspoon over vanilla ice cream tastes like salted caramel

  • 04

    For simmered dishes, add it late so the aroma survives

  • 05

    Refrigerate after opening and use within three months; the door shelf is fine

Rows of cedar vats in a soy sauce brewery, a maker stirring the mash from the rim

The maker

About the maker

Tatsumi Jozo has eighteen cedar vats. The oldest dates from the Meiji era; the newest was made in 1968. Inside each one is a living layer of microbes, and it is never scrubbed away, because the same layer works every year. Miwako Tatsumi, the fourth generation, says that replacing a vat costs you three years before the flavour comes back.

From the person who chose it

They make about 4,000 litres a year, less than a day's output at an industrial plant. Because it is never heat-treated, put it in the fridge once you break the seal.

— Gate Japan team, Guida

Read about this brewery

Can it be sent as a gift?

A light-blocking slim bottle with a washi label applied one at a time. No wooden box, but wrapping and a message card are available, and it ships happily alongside other items.

Noshi is the paper slip that traditionally accompanies a gift in Japan. Outer noshi goes over the wrapping, so the occasion is visible at a glance. Inner noshi goes under it, for a more understated gift, and is the usual choice for anything shipped.

Outer noshi
Inner noshiWrapping paper
  • Noshi, outer or inner
  • Gift box or furoshiki
  • Message card
  • Choose a delivery date and time slot (Japanese addresses)
  • No invoice in the box

Questions

Where in Japan can you deliver this?
Anywhere in Japan. Shipping is ¥990 (ambient delivery) and takes 2–4 business days after dispatch.
Can you deliver to my hotel while I am in Japan?
Yes. Give us the name on your booking and your check-in date and we aim to arrive the day before you do. The rate is the same ¥990 as any Japanese address.
Can you ship this abroad?
Yes — Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, United Kingdom, Germany, France and United States. Shipping starts at ¥3,200 depending on the country, and delivery takes 6–12 business days.
Who pays customs duty and import tax?
The recipient pays duty, import tax and any customs handling on arrival (DDU). The amount is set by the destination country against the declared value, so we cannot collect it in advance.
How long does it keep?
Twelve months sealed, three months refrigerated once opened. Because it is unpasteurised, leaving it out darkens the colour and dulls the aroma.
How is it different from supermarket soy sauce?
Most supermarket soy sauce ferments three to six months in temperature-controlled steel. This spends two years in cedar with no controls at all. The result is less of a salt edge and more layers of savouriness and acidity, which shows more when you pour it over food than when you cook with it.
Any allergens?
Contains soy and wheat as declarable allergens. No other allergens are handled at the brewery. It is not gluten-free.