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HAKKO Sharing the beauty of japanese fermentation through KOJI

10/15/2026

Let’s talk miso! Here are three distinct styles I always come back to, each brought to life by a different type of koji.

Rice Koji Miso: Gotoku Miso from Inoue Honten in Nara. Loaded with rice koji, this one delivers a beautifully rich, mellow, and comfortingly sweet flavor profile.

Barley Koji Miso: From Ii Shoten in Uwajima. Crafted uniquely with barley koji and sea salt—no soybeans at all—giving it a gentle, natural sweetness and a warm, nutty aroma.

Soybean Koji Miso: Maruya Hatcho Miso. Made purely from soybean koji and aged for over two full years, creating an intensely deep, earthy, and robust umami flavor.
I picked up both the Ii Shoten barley miso and Maruya Hatcho miso at The Rice Factory LA ().

Follow along .online!

10/08/2026

Why make miso when you can buy it?
I teach miso-making, but this summer I got to be a student again.
On July 5, I made this batch with Hiraku Ogura at a workshop at Hakko Department in Japan. We’ve met several times, but making miso together gave us a different way to connect.
Opening the jar three months later, here in LA, reminded me of what I hope to share with kids and adults: the joy of making something that becomes part of our everyday meals.
The making. The waiting. And finally, opening the jar.
For me, it’s more than a recipe—it’s the joy of making our own food, with our own hands.

What’s something you love making with your own hands?

Thank you .department

10/08/2026

Why make miso when you can buy it?
I teach miso-making, but this summer I got to be a student again.
On July 5, I made this batch with Hiraku Ogura at a workshop at Hakko Department in Japan. We’ve met several times, but making miso together gave us a different way to connect.
Opening the jar three months later, here in LA, reminded me of what I hope to share with kids and adults: the joy of making something that becomes part of our everyday meals.
The making. The waiting. And finally, opening the jar.
For me, it’s more than a recipe—it’s the joy of making our own food, with our own hands.

What’s something you love making with your own hands?

Announcing my October workshop schedule!October 17: “Miso Happy” by Yoko📍Yama Sushi Marketplace - West LAOctober 24: “Le...
10/07/2026

Announcing my October workshop schedule!

October 17: “Miso Happy” by Yoko
📍Yama Sushi Marketplace - West LA

October 24: “Let Me Shoyu Everything about Soy Sauce” by Yoko
📍Yama Sushi Marketplace - West LA

October 27: Miso-Making Workshop (Japanese Audio Only)
📍San Diego, CA

How to sign up:
🔗Go to my linktree for details on the Miso-Making Workshop
🔗Go to the link below for the Yama Sushi workshop
https://www.exploretock.com/yama-sushi-sake-los-angeles/event/571690/miso-happy-by-yoko-west-la

Hope to see you there!

10/06/2026

Two homemade miso batches opened this fall in my LA kitchen.
One was made in January. The other was made in Japan on July 5—and opened three months later.
Miso is a fermented soybean paste used in Japanese cooking. These batches use different recipes and aging times, so their colors aren’t just about how long they’ve aged.
Before making my next batch, I’m taking a moment to appreciate these two.
Follow along for Japanese fermentation in everyday life.

10/02/2026

Five soy sauces, one tomato surprise.

Today I brought five kinds of Japanese soy sauce
—and one tomato-based surprise—to a school classroom in LA.

Some of these students made miso with me last year.
This time, we tasted, guessed, and talked about what food is made from.

I love the moment a child starts wondering, “What’s in this?”
Food can be another doorway into Japanese culture, alongside language.

09/29/2026

Yesterday, I made koji with a private chef from Lithuania.
Since she regularly makes shio koji and other fermented foods, our work went smoothly—even without a common language.
Koji requires different care depending on the temperature, humidity, and ingredients used, so it rarely turns out exactly as the recipe says. I’d be happy if, after she returns to London, she puts what I taught her into practice and gives it a try in her own local environment.
“Looking at the mountains calms my heart,” she said. It made me happy to realize that she shared the same feeling as I do.
In an age overflowing with convenient meals, the five hours I spent with her—someone who knows the joy of making delicious food for others—were truly enriching.
The next time we meet, I’d like her to teach me how to cook Lithuanian dishes. I’m looking forward to seeing her again.

09/29/2026

Yesterday, I made koji with a private chef from Lithuania.

Since she regularly makes shio koji and other fermented foods, our work went smoothly—even without a common language.

Koji requires different care depending on the temperature, humidity, and ingredients used, so it rarely turns out exactly as the recipe says. I’d be happy if, after she returns to London, she puts what I taught her into practice and gives it a try in her own local environment.

“Looking at the mountains calms my heart,” she said. It made me happy to realize that she shared the same feeling as I do.

In an age overflowing with convenient meals, the five hours I spent with her—someone who knows the joy of making delicious food for others—were truly enriching.

The next time we meet, I’d like her to teach me how to cook Lithuanian dishes. I’m looking forward to seeing her again.

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