The Yama-Roku Shoyu Kioke Soy Sauce
Landscape Routes has recently been exploring the twists and turns of the costal roads of Shikoku and Shodoshima in Japan. Shodoshima is a small island hidden in the Seto Inland Sea were you can admire the beautiful scenery and experience high quality local products and produce such as olive oil, olive-fed wagyu beef and kioke soy sauce.
It was there that we had the pleasure to visit Yamaroku Shoyu where soy sauce is still produced in traditional wood barrels. Mr. Yasuo Yamamoto is the 5th generation soy brewer producing the unique flavours and umami found in kioke soy sauce. This soy sauce is naturally fermented, brewed and aged for up to 5 years in large wooden barrels called kioke (木桶) which gives it an authentic and unique flavour.
Stay tuned for the complete travel story with the full itinerary around Shikoku and Shodoshima. In the meantime, if you would like to know more about this place leave us a comment!
Getting there
Yamaroku Shoyu ヤマロク醤油
1607 甲 Yasuda, Shozu-cho, Shodoshima, 761-4411 Kagawa Prefecture
Coordinates: 34°29’10.741″N 134°19’11.456″E
Tel: +81 (0879) 82 0666
Web: http://yama-roku.net
Shodoshima is easily accessed by ferry boat and depending if you are in Takamatsu (Shikoku Island), Okayama or Kobe, the offer is plenty. The map on the right shows you the main ports and connections to the other cities.
See below some information and resources that will help you plan your trip to the Shodoshima and visit Yamaroku Shoyu.
Ferry Boat Information and Resources
For information in English you can use the links in the Setouchi triennale 2019 webpage.
From Takamatsu to Shodoshima’s Kusakabe, Ikeda and Tonosho Ports
| Destination Port | Trip Duration | Link |
| Kusakabe | 60 min (regular) 45 min (speed boat) | Uchinomi Ferry |
| Ikeda | 60 min (regular) | Kokusai Ferry |
| Tonosho | 60 min (regular) 30 min (speed boat) | Shodoshima Ferry |
From Kobe to Shodoshima’s Sakate Port
| Destination Port | Trip Duration | Link |
| Sakate | 3 hours (regular) | Jumbo Ferry (English) Jumbo Ferry (Japanese) |
Flying to Takamatsu
If you are in Japan you can fly to Takamatsu from Tokyo (Haneda), Tokyo (Narita) or Okinawa (Naha). Check the latest domestic flights timetables directly in the Takamatsu airport webpage.
You can also fly directly to Takamatsu from Hong-Kong, Taipei (Taoyuan), Seoul (Incheon) and Shanghai (Pudong). To check the latest international flights and timetables use this link.