Brand's products KONO VINEGAR

Maniwa, where the Kono Vinegar brewery is located, is a rare region where the soft waters of Asahi River, which originates in the Hiruzen Plateau, meet the moderately hard waters of Bitchu River, which originates in northern Boso. With its beautiful forests and abundant nature, many breweries have developed from the Hiruzen Plateau in the north to the north of Boso in the south, and since ancient times, Mimasaka (the former name of the northern part of Okayama Prefecture) has been known as the “land of delicious sake.”

There are currently 10 companies specializing in fermentation in Maniwa. Each of them belongs to a different industry. It is rare to find so many fermentation companies from different industries in the same town, even in other regions. Kono Vinegar, a specialist in slow natural fermentation, has been using the same traditional production methods since its establishment in 1888 for its vinegars, kojis, seasonings, miso, soy sauces, and other products. Facilities, cellars, fermentation rooms, and cedar barrels are all original to the founder, Seijiro-san.

Specializing in vinegar, soy sauce, and miso, the company relies on slow fermentation methods and techniques passed down from generation to generation to offer authentic products without additives. The “warehouse yeast” (Kuratsuki kobo), cultivated since company's founding, lives in the walls, beams, and pillars of the buildings. While each generation has adopted new techniques, they have also inherited many traditional methods that make use of this yeast, passing down the traditional flavors to the present day, accompanied by a sincere passion for craftsmanship.