330-Year-Old Wakayama Soy Sauce Brewery Launches Crowdfunding for Cultural Property Restoration and Seismic Retrofitting

Carrying a 330-Year-Old Soy Sauce Brewery into the Future

Horikawaya Nomura (Representative: Keisuke Nomura), a long-established soy sauce brewery in Gobo City, Wakayama Prefecture, has begun soliciting support through the crowdfunding service "READYFOR."

Horikawaya Nomura was founded in 1688 (Genroku 1) as a shipping agent transporting goods for the Kishu Tokugawa family to Edo.

Later, the soy sauce and Kyozanji miso, which were made as souvenirs for customers in Edo, became their main business,

and they still adhere to ancient production methods such as "hand-koji," "wood-fired cooking," and "natural brewing."

Their signature products are Mitsuboshi Soy Sauce and Kyozanji Miso. They are considered the oldest soy sauce brewery in Wakayama Prefecture, the birthplace of soy sauce.

Five buildings, including the "Shop and Main Residence" and "Fermentation Warehouse," are designated as National Registered Tangible Cultural Properties,

and are still used today as places for manufacturing and sales.

It is loved by many cultural figures and culinary professionals such as Mr. Juzo Itami, Mr. Rokketsu E, and Mr. Masaru Doi,

and its existence is highly regarded both domestically and internationally.

Preserving the Unchanging Craftsmanship with Hand-Koji and Wood Fire

The signature product of Horikawaya Nomura, "Mitsuboshi Soy Sauce,"

derives its name from the Nomura family crest,

and has been passed down through generations with the aspiration, "We want to be the master who personally makes the soy sauce."

They also produce red miso, white miso, and mixed miso using ancient methods, starting with Kyozanji miso, considered the origin of miso.

What the brewery has cherished is the "hand-koji" method, where koji is managed by human hands.

This process of facing the koji while discerning temperature and moisture

requires a different kind of time than efficiency and mass production.

Furthermore, there is no gas in the brewery, and soybeans are cooked over a wood fire.

This method of starting the fire in the middle of the night and overseeing the flames during preparation

forms the foundation of the taste that the brewery has continued to protect.

The Current State of the "Shop and Main Residence," Which Could Collapse at Any Moment

This time, the support will be directed towards the repair and seismic retrofitting of the "Shop and Main Residence,"

which can be considered the face of Horikawaya Nomura.

Due to years of deterioration, cracks in the beams, corrosion of the pillars, collapse of the roof, termite damage,

and damage to structural components from leaks have been confirmed.

Specialist surveys have also revealed the serious condition.

Although the brewery has carried out partial repairs over the years,

this time, a large-scale construction is necessary to simultaneously address "repair" of deterioration and "seismic reinforcement" against future earthquakes.

Wakayama is also a region where the Nankai Trough megaquake is a concern,

and to protect the cultural property architecture that cannot be restored once lost,

they have decided to take on the challenge of crowdfunding.

The construction will employ reinforcement based on the limit strength calculation suitable for traditional architectural methods.

Repairing beams and restoring the building's tilt

"House lifting," installation of seismic rings to enhance the deformation performance of beam-to-pillar joints,

and partial re-roofing will be carried out to restore the building's framework to a sound condition.

Rewards Include Soy Sauce, Miso, Brewery Tours, Dining Experiences, and Collaborations with Confectioneries and Bags

The first target amount for the crowdfunding is 7 million yen (final target amount: 27 million yen).

Support courses include "Donation Only" where no reward is received, courses where miso and soy sauce produced by the brewery can be received,

courses for brewery tours where normally non-public areas can be visited, collaboration confectionery courses with Rokkatei, a confectionery store in Hokkaido,

and dining experiences at renowned restaurants, offering a rich selection of options.

The brewery states that the raised funds will be used for the repair and seismic retrofitting of the "Shop and Main Residence."

Representative Keisuke Nomura, the 18th generation, said, "For Horikawaya Nomura, this building is not just a retail store, but a place for 'transmission' where we have conveyed Japanese food culture through the ancient methods of making soy sauce and miso.

With a strong desire not to lose this place, filled with the sentiments of those who have loved it,

we want to connect it to the future with everyone's help."

[Project Overview]

Project Name: Horikawaya Nomura | Once it collapses, it can never be restored. Support our 330-year-old soy sauce brewery!

Organizer: Mitsuboshi Soy Sauce Brewery Horikawaya Nomura

Project URL: https://readyfor.jp/projects/horikawayanomura

Recruitment Period: June 9, 2026 (Tuesday) 8:00 AM - August 7, 2026 (Friday) 11:00 PM

Target Amount: 7,000,000 yen (Final Target Amount: 27,000,000 yen)

Support Content: Repair and seismic retrofitting of the "Shop and Main Residence," a National Registered Tangible Cultural Property.

*This project has received the endorsement and support of the National Heritage Manager Network Council for its objectives.