I am in charge of making koji, which is the most important part of the miso making.
Specifically, making koji involves the process of accepting rice, steaming rice after the immersion, adding the koji bacteria, and sending it to the machinery which is kept at 30℃. This process also involves the maintenance of temperature in order for koji bacteria to grow and after the cooling process, getting completed koji out.
The whole process of making koji takes 3 days, and we go through more than 30 tons of rice on a daily bases. It is a hard job, yet very satisfying as well.

Koji making is at the core of miso making, and it demands our extreme care.
Koji bacteria is a live microorganism, and the highest attention must be given to the temperature control throughout the koji making process, since the growth and development of koji bacteria depends on it.
When I see white, good quality koji come along, I can’t help but feel the sense of accomplishment.
As the enzymes of koji break up soybeans, and natural yeast ferments to create its unique aroma, miso gets completed. However, since this is all done by the work of microorganisms, different miso will be made under the changed environment.
Experiencing such process firsthand makes me sense the greatness and the depth of fermented food miso, and it is simply so much fun!

I chose Hikari Miso, because miso is a traditional food of Japan, which cannot be missed in the Japanese diet, and I like miso myself. I chose the food industry, since it is comparatively stable as well.
The commendable points about Hikari Miso as a company are, the quick response to the needs of time, the vigorous participation in the overseas market, and the never ending challenging spirit as seen in many new products.