Shodoshima is one of the few places in Japan where traditional wooden barrel fermentation has been passed down through generations—and where you can still walk into a working soy sauce brewery. Founded in 1920, Shokin Soy Sauce works with domestic soybeans and wheat to achieve a mellow, rounded flavor. The fermentation mash prepared in winter ferments through May to July, filling the space with a gentle sound—like a running stream—and a sweet fragrance that wraps around you. As aging begins, the sound settles, and the aroma deepens. Step inside and take a moment to listen to the quiet, living breath of the soy sauce as it changes.
Shokin Soy Sauce
813 Umaki Ko, Shodoshima-cho, Shozu-gun, Kagawa 761-4426
Access: 4-minute walk from “Umaki” bus stop (Shodoshima Olive Bus)
Google Map↗︎
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Places with Connections
Guide: Atsushi Sato, Shokin Soy Sauce
The Most Beautiful Sunset on the Island
The island is full of views that make you stop on the way, but my top pick is “Yakatazaki Yuhi-no-Oka,” along Prefectural Route 26 on the northern side of Tonosho. From here, you get an unobstructed view of the Seto Inland Sea stretching toward the mainland. The magic hour in the evening is especially worth the trip—watching the sky and sea slowly deepen into the colors of the sunset, you lose track of time without realizing it. Why not drive back along the coast and stop by after visiting our brewery? It’ll be just the right time.
Yakatazaki Yuhi-no-Oka
Yagatazaki, Tonosho-cho, Shozu-gun, Kagawa 761-4142
Access: 10-minute walk from “Higashiumagoshi” bus stop (Shodoshima Olive Bus)
Google Map↗︎
