Hi there! I’m Tabeena, your active, food-loving local explorer 🐝
This time, we’re off to Yamaga’s Kamoto region—a historic rice-growing area full of flavor and tradition.

We’ll visit three unique spots specializing in miso, soy sauce, and kōji (the fermentation starter essential to Japanese cuisine). These places combine centuries of tradition with modern flair—and one of them even serves sweet miso caramel desserts!

Let’s gooo! 📷

Himiko Shoin (卑弥呼醤院)

Himiko Shōin’s signature miso is known for its rich depth of flavor—thanks to the careful cultivation of kōji, a technique refined since the late Edo period when the business started as a sake brewery.

This time-intensive fermentation process is passed down through generations and still done by hand today. The result? Miso and soy sauce with a deep yet gentle umami taste.

Inside, the Sakura-Sakura Café offers 16 varieties of miso soup—all made without additives, letting the natural flavors shine.

📍 Address: 1586 Kutami, Kamoto-cho, Yamaga, Kumamoto (Japanese: 熊本県山鹿市鹿本町来民１５８６) [Google Maps]
🕒 Hours: 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
📅 Closed: Sundays
🔗 Website: https://www.misosyouyu.com/

Marukame Hakko Cafe (発酵café マルカメ)

Operating since 1870, this long-running soy sauce and miso maker launched a stylish café in 2019, blending tradition with innovation.

On the menu are seasonal sweets made from fermented ingredients—like fluffy shaved ice in summer and crisp Brussels waffles in winter. They also serve warm, cozy drinks made from amazake (sweet fermented rice drink), reimagining Japan’s fermentation culture in delicious new ways.

📍 Address: 1000-2 Naka, Yamaga, Kumamoto (Japanese: 熊本県山鹿市中１０００−２) [Google Maps]
🕒 Hours: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM (Until 4:00 PM on weekends and holidays)
📅 Closed: Mondays (or Tuesday if Monday is a holiday), 2nd & 4th Tuesdays
🔗 Website: https://marukame-soy.com/

Kiya Honten (木屋本店)

Founded in the late Edo period, this koji-specialty shop has been crafting miso, vinegar, and amazake for nearly two centuries. Their commitment to traditional fermentation methods—using time-honored tools like wooden trays—results in products that are healthy, flavorful, and packed with umami.

Kiya prides itself on using local ingredients and aims to bring the joys of fermented food to modern lifestyles without sacrificing authenticity.

📍 Address: 1820 Yamaga, Yamaga City, Kumamoto Prefecture (Japanese: 熊本県山鹿市山鹿１８２０) [Google Maps]
🕒 Hours: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (May close earlier on weekends and holidays)
📅 Closed: Irregular holidays
🔗 Website: https://www.kouji-kiya.kumamoto.jp/

Suggested Route

Here’s a recommended itinerary if you’re driving:

• 12:30 PM – Start at Kiya Main Store
  → 10-minute drive
• 1:40 PM – Stop by Fermentation Café Marukame
  → 10-minute drive
• 2:50 PM – Wrap up at Himiko Shōin

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Thanks for reading all the way to the end!
Hope this inspires your next outing—especially if you’re looking for something delicious and a little different.

Stay tuned for more adventures from Tabeena 🐝

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The above was translated and adapted from an article on our Japanese-language sister website ALT Kumamoto. For the original content, see the article below!

＼みそとキャラメルのスイーツがヤバい！／米どころ山鹿満喫！絶品味噌・醤油・糀グルメ3選