NAOE Shoyu 直源醤油 - History

The history of shoyu (soy sauce) in Kaga Domain began in the Genna era (1615 - 1624), when our ancestor, Ihei Naoe-ya 直江屋伊兵衛, a resident of Oono town learned the shoyu brewing method of Kishu Yuasa by the order of Toshitsune Maeda, the third generation ruler of Kaga Domain.

Naogen Shoyu descended from the line of Ihei Naoe-ya, has continued to focus on making soy sauce, and calling itself Genbei, the founder's namesake (Genbei Naoe-ya) for generations.

1825	Trade name Naoe-ya Genbei 直江屋源兵衛 was founded. Before beginning as a soy sauce brewery, enlarged the business to Hokkaido and Karafuto area as a shipping agency.
1844 to 1853	The times of second generation Naoe-ya Genbei and third generation Naoe-ya Genemon 直江屋源右衛門. The population of Kanazawa city increased next to Edo, Osaka and Kyoto. The soy sauce brewers at Oono town also increased up to more than 60.
1872	The trade name was changed to Naogen-Shoten 直源商店 (Naogen is an abbreviation of Naoe Genbei and Shoten, which means family business).
1877	The soy sauce brewers at Oono town decreased to 10.
1915	The times of fouth generation Naoe-ya Gentaro 直江屋源太郎. The soy sauce brewers at Oono town increased up to 36.
1926	The trade name was changed to Naogen Shoyu Jozojo 直源醤油醸造所 (Naogen Soy Sauce Brewery).
1952	Changed organization and also the trade name was changed to Naogen Shoyu K.K. 直源醤油株式会社 (Naogen Soy Sauce Co., Ltd.) The fifth head Genichiro Naoe 直江源一郎 became the president of the company. Changed the trade mark of company to shape of balance weight, which is using now.
September 1958	The sixth head Shigetsugu Naoe 直江茂次 became the president of the company.
1969 to 1970	Oono Shoyu Brewers' Co-operative Union was established and then the factory was completed on 1970.
1989	The seventh head Shigeyuki Naoe 直江茂行 became the president of the company.
March 2000	The new factory corresponding to HACCP was completed.
July 2002	The shop Naoe-ya Genbei was opened by reconstructing the Kura (brewery).
October 2010	The Fourth Japan Soy Sauce Summit was held in Oono town.
2013	The eighth head Junichiro Naoe 直江潤一郎 became the president of the company.
March 2019	The new factory corresponding to FSSC22000 will be completed.

The third generation ruler of Kaga Domain, Toshitsune Maeda was devoted to the development of arts and crafts, including a new support for Agehama-style salt making in Noto in 1596. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization officially designated Noto's Satoyama-Satoumi as one of the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS).

Naogen Shoyu used local Noto Agehama-style salt, an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan in our shoyu making process. Availability has been affected by this year's earthquake in Noto.

Only a 200 meters walk around the corner from Naogen Shoyu, up a slope and into a small coastal forest is Oono Hiyoshi Jinja 大野日吉神社, one of the oldest shrines in the area that was established during the Nara period in 733.

Oono town has flourished as a river port since then, prospered as a base for Kitamae-bune ships that spread culture across Japan during the Edo period (1603 - 1868), and became one of Japan's top shoyu producers with Naogen Shoyu at the forefront.

NAOE Family Shoyu History