Shinagawa City, Tokyo, Japan｜Sakamotoshoten Gotanda Honten

This place was well worth the visit! So many different types of miso (and other things) and the person working the day I went was incredibly friendly and worked with me to find several types of miso that I would enjoy. The best part was that there was a whole selection of the various miso offerings in individual sized portions for ¥100-¥200 each. Each small portion was good for two to three servings, which is incredible for those who want to try before coming back to buy more. It’s better if you have access to a translation app or can speak Japanese, and please note that these misos DO NOT contain dashi, which you will need to add yourself (which I believe also makes them vegetarian/vegan, but please check with the worker. I will absolutely be returning frequently.

I visited here before leaving Japan to take various Miso back home. Recommend coming here if you are looking for a local shop where you can buy miso in bulk or in smaller sample sizes and looking for recommendations on how to use it. The service was some of the best I've received in Japan. The clerk did not speak English, but you can tell how friendly he is just by the smile in his eyes. He also dictated to a translator and that worked out pretty well. He recommended a few different kinds of miso and told me how to store it for the trip home and how to use them. The miso is very affordable -- I think I spent about 1500 JPY for a bit over 1 kg of various types as of June 2023. They also gave me a free sample of miso and recommended to try it with cucumber as a dip. I have yet to actually taste the miso but have a few things planned for it.

I was very curious about miso specialty stores, so I went there for the first time. I can buy miso from barrels by weight starting at 300g, which is very helpful for me as I like to try different types little by little! I was curious about "Sakura Miso," which is a combination of soybean miso and white miso, so I bought it along with Hatcho miso. It can be fun to use different types of miso depending on the season and the cuisine, or to blend them to create your own favorite miso. Everyone at the store was kind and warm, and I would love to visit them again.