#Japan #Tokyo #MISOVATION #Honnoriya #Craft Tonjiru

Reviving Traditional Tastes with Craft Tonjiru

In a remarkable collaboration, JR East's Honnoriya is set to launch Regional Craft Tonjiru on February 17, 2026, at its Eki Naka locations in Shinagawa and Ueno. This new offering features three varieties of freeze-dried Tonjiru, made in partnership with various local miso makers across Japan, effectively marrying traditional food culture with modern technology.

This initiative is led by MISOVATION, a food tech venture based in Chuo, Tokyo, that aims to promote the mission of using Japanese food and technology to improve global health. Recent reports indicate that around 50,000 businesses related to Japan's traditional foods like miso, soy sauce, sake, and tofu have shut down over the past 60 years, primarily small-scale businesses with rich histories. These closures are attributed to the challenges posed by mass production and consumption, which have overshadowed traditional methods that capture local flavors and food cultures.

Despite the abundance of exquisite traditional foods created with passion in the countryside, many of these offerings remain confined to local markets due to a lack of logistics and knowledge on how to open up new distribution channels. MISOVATION has previously worked to address this through a direct-to-consumer model that combines online access with subscription services to introduce nutritious miso-based products to consumers. However, to invigorate the entire industry, there is a pressing need to establish a wider distribution network beyond online platforms.

To tackle this, MISOVATION has partnered with Honnoriya, which is known for its commitment to crafting delicious, handmade rice balls made from Aizu-grown Koshihikari rice and high-quality domestic seaweed. This collaboration will showcase the synergy of rice balls and Tonjiru, an incredibly popular combination among the Japanese population. Business professionals and travelers passing through the bustling stations of Shinagawa and Ueno will now have the chance to experience the richness of regional fermented cultures conveniently.

With the introduction of these unique miso offerings at stations visited by many from both domestic and international spheres, the goal is to provide a memorable customer experience while revitalizing local industries.

Product Overview

• - Sales Period: Starts February 17, 2026 (end date to be determined).
• - Sales Locations:

- Honnoriya Eki Naka Shinagawa (1F inside JR Shinagawa Station)
- Honnoriya Eki Naka Ueno (3F inside JR Ueno Station)

• - Products Offered: Three varieties of Regional Craft Tonjiru made with local miso.

- Each product encapsulates the unique flavors born from the regional climate, all conveniently prepared as freeze-dried Tonjiru that can be enjoyed with just hot water.

Product Details:

1. Kaga Miso with Sake Lees Tonjiru
- Brewery: Yamato Soy Sauce and Miso Co., Ltd. (Kanazawa, Ishikawa)
- A century-old establishment known for its rich Koji flavor created through traditional wooden barrel fermentation.

2. Yanagawa Zen Tonjiru
- Brewery: Tsurumiso Co., Ltd. (Yanagawa, Fukuoka)
- Established in the 3rd year of the Meiji era, famous for its sweet and umami-rich blended miso using abundant barley koji.

3. Fukushima Koji Miso Tonjiru
- Brewery: Koji Wada-ya (Honjo, Fukushima)
- Focused on handmade Koji, this variety presents a nostalgic taste thanks to its natural sweetness derived from rice Koji and concentrated soybean umami.

About JR East Cross Station

• - Company Name: JR East Cross Station Co., Ltd.
• - Headquarters: Shibuya, Tokyo
• - Established: April 1, 2021

The company operates multiple businesses, including convenience stores like NewDays, various food services, and commercial facilities within train stations.

About Honnoriya

Since opening its first store in 2002 at Tokyo Station, Honnoriya has built a reputation for delivering handmade rice balls, emphasizing in-store cooking and quality ingredients.

About MISOVATION

Founded on March 2, 2021, MISOVATION focuses on enhancing the global healthcare market potential of miso using advanced fermentation technology. Their robust development of high-value products aligns with the needs of individual consumers and aims to support the sustainability of traditional industries.

Through this innovative project, both JR East and MISOVATION are paving the way for a brighter future for Japan’s traditional food sector, reinforcing local culture while expanding its reach on a more massive scale.