Why is Mito Natto famous? Origin legend and Tokugawa Mitsukuni
Natto is Mito's signature food. But did you know its nationwide fame actually traces back to a railway opening in the Meiji era?
Mito is known as one of Japan's leading natto-producing areas. Its origin is tied to a legend about a Heian-era warrior, and Tokugawa Mitsukuni — the real figure behind 'Mito Komon' — is said to have played a role in the Edo period.
But it was actually a Meiji-era railway opening that gave Mito natto its nationwide fame. Here's how it unfolded, from legend to national brand.
Origin legend: Minamoto no Yoshiie
The legend of Minamoto no Yoshiie (1083)Minamoto no Yoshiie
One legend traces Mito natto's origin to 1083, when the warrior Minamoto no Yoshiie, traveling to Oshu during the Later Three-Year War, stayed at the estate of a wealthy Mito local named Issei Choja. Leftover boiled soybeans meant as horse feed are said to have fermented by chance into natto. This is a traditional tale, not a confirmed historical fact.
Encouraged by Tokugawa Mitsukuni
Promoted as a stored food
In the Edo period, Mito Domain's lord Tokugawa Mitsukuni — the historical figure behind 'Mito Komon' — is said to have encouraged natto production as a preservable stored food. This suggests that natto, already made in everyday Mito households, took root more firmly in the region with the lord's backing.
Nationwide fame began in 1889
"Tengu Natto" and the Mito Railway
In 1889, the first Seizaemon Sasanuma founded 'Tengu Natto' in Mito. Selling it in the plaza in front of Mito Station to coincide with the opening of the Mito Railway that same year turned it into a famous souvenir almost overnight. From 1936 onward, sales expanded onto the Joban Line platform at Mito Station itself. Today's mainstream style of Mito natto, made with small soybeans, is said to have taken shape around this time.
Source:The History of Mito Tengu Natto - Sasanuma Goro Shoten
FAQ
Did Minamoto no Yoshiie really invent Mito natto?
It's a traditional legend, not a confirmed historical fact — the story of boiled horse-feed soybeans fermenting by chance has simply been passed down as an origin tale, and Japan has several other regional origin legends for natto besides Mito's.
When did it become nationally famous?
It was the 1889 railway opening. Note that 'Tengu Natto' is just one brand among several Mito natto makers — 'Mito natto' itself is a regional term, not the name of a single company.