Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings of Yuasa

The Important Preservation District of Historic Buildings of this town covers an area ranging approximately 400 meters from east to west and 280 meters from north to south. There are numerous spots that represent the area's history, such as houses built in the 1800s, long-established soy sauce factories, old houses converted into inns and cafes, a soy sauce museum and a former public bath house. Some architectural features, such as the white mortar walls of storehouses and latticed sliding doors and windows, add an impressive retrospective feel to the beautiful landscape.

Another specialty of Yuasa Town is Kinzanji Miso, which is believed to be behind the origins of soy sauce. It is quite different from ordinary miso in that it is intended for eating rather than as a cooking ingredient. It is made with rice, soy beans and barley along with koji mold and salt, and fermented with vegetables such as gourds, eggplants, ginger and shiso perilla. It is said that the high-ranking priest named Kakushin brought the production method of Kinzanji Miso back from China during the 13th century, and soy sauce was inadvertently created during its process.