Shoyu: The Five JAS Types
Ten pages built on the official JAS five types, plus wooden-barrel brewing, the gluten-free question answered accurately, regions, and labels.
The full list sits in the frame below - it scrolls inside the frame so the rest of the page stays close.
What Is Shoyu (Japanese Soy Sauce)?
Soy sauce brewed from soybeans, wheat, salt and koji - classified in Japan into five official JAS types.Koikuchi Shoyu (Dark Soy Sauce)
The standard Japanese soy sauce - equal parts soybean and wheat, used for both cooking and the table across most of Japan.Usukuchi Shoyu (Light Soy Sauce)
The pale soy sauce of the Kansai region - lighter in colour than koikuchi, but not lighter in salt.Tamari Shoyu
The wheat-free (or nearly wheat-free) soy sauce of the Chubu region - rich, thick and dark, made mainly from soybeans.Saishikomi Shoyu (Double-Brewed)
Soy sauce brewed twice: finished shoyu replaces the brine in a second moromi, giving a dense, low-yield luxury type.Shiro Shoyu (White Soy Sauce)
The palest soy sauce - brewed mainly from wheat in Hekinan, Aichi, seasoning dishes almost without colouring them.Kioke: Wooden-Barrel Brewing
A small but reviving part of shoyu (and miso) making still ferments in wooden barrels, some over a century old.Tamari and Gluten-Free: The Accurate Version
What can and cannot be claimed: most shoyu contains wheat, most tamari does not - and only the label settles it.Shoyu Regions and Breweries
Five places explain most of Japan's soy sauce map: Noda, Choshi, Tatsuno, Shodoshima and the tamari country of Chubu.Reading a Shoyu Label
Type name, brewing method, ingredients and the tokkyu grade mark - the four readings that sort a shelf of bottles.
Soy sauce brewed from soybeans, wheat, salt and koji - classified in Japan into five official JAS types.Koikuchi Shoyu (Dark Soy Sauce)
The standard Japanese soy sauce - equal parts soybean and wheat, used for both cooking and the table across most of Japan.Usukuchi Shoyu (Light Soy Sauce)
The pale soy sauce of the Kansai region - lighter in colour than koikuchi, but not lighter in salt.Tamari Shoyu
The wheat-free (or nearly wheat-free) soy sauce of the Chubu region - rich, thick and dark, made mainly from soybeans.Saishikomi Shoyu (Double-Brewed)
Soy sauce brewed twice: finished shoyu replaces the brine in a second moromi, giving a dense, low-yield luxury type.Shiro Shoyu (White Soy Sauce)
The palest soy sauce - brewed mainly from wheat in Hekinan, Aichi, seasoning dishes almost without colouring them.Kioke: Wooden-Barrel Brewing
A small but reviving part of shoyu (and miso) making still ferments in wooden barrels, some over a century old.Tamari and Gluten-Free: The Accurate Version
What can and cannot be claimed: most shoyu contains wheat, most tamari does not - and only the label settles it.Shoyu Regions and Breweries
Five places explain most of Japan's soy sauce map: Noda, Choshi, Tatsuno, Shodoshima and the tamari country of Chubu.Reading a Shoyu Label
Type name, brewing method, ingredients and the tokkyu grade mark - the four readings that sort a shelf of bottles.
Sources: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), 'Traditional Foods in Japan'; JAS soy sauce standards; Umami Information Center; Kikkoman official information; Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Checked 6 November 2026.
Advertisement