ODAGAKI

Today, Odagaki is a renowned TAMBAGURO Black Soybean shop specializing in beans such as TAMBAGURO soybeans and Dainagon adzuki beans. Our Odagaki brand highest quality beans, carefully selected by master artisans, are a favorite of regular customers nationwide, famous confectioners, and high class Japanese restaurants. TAMBAGURO black soybeans have been cultivated since ancient times and are even mentioned in the Sasayama futan-shi compiled in 1685. However, in the distant past, when the cultivation of rice was encouraged, black soybeans were only grown on the small strips of land between rice paddies by just a few farmers, and even many local farmers were not aware of their existence. Originally established as a metal casting company in 1734, in 1868 the business was restructured by Hato Odagaki into the predecessor to the modern Odagaki. Hato sought to share the deliciousness of Tamba's large black soybeans with as many people as possible, and so he distributed black soybean seeds to local Sasayama (then Taki-gun) farmers and taught them how to cultivate the beans. He then began buying the black soybeans they grew and hand selecting the best ones for sale. At that time, black soybean brought little revenue in comparison with rice cultivation and most farmers hesitated to grow the crop. In response, Odagaki made contracts with farmers to purchase all of the beans they grew and which established a minimum guaranteed price for their black soybeans. After many years, this gradually resulted in more and more TAMBAGURO black soybeans being grown. However, until a national policy of crop diversification away from rice was established in 1970, TAMBAGURO black soybeans continued to be grown in low quantities and were only known in a tiny portion of the Kansai region, with very little nationwide recognition. Eventually, the national government also established a policy of reducing rice acreage, and the production of black soybeans began to grow. Thanks to the cooperation of a veteran dried goods wholesaler in Tokyo, Odagaki was able to get TAMBAGURO black soybeans sold in dried goods shops in Tsukiji and Ameya-yokocho as well as major department stores. From these outposts in Tokyo, Odagaki's TAMBAGURO Black Soybeans expanded throughout the country. Odagaki Company's long standing direct order customers and some assistance from the national government were also essential in establishing TAMBAGURO Black Soybeans as a nationwide brand. Thanks to the word of mouth of the gracious customers who bought our products, the reputation of Odagaki's delicious black soybeans grew. Government-sponsored nationwide PR for TAMBAGURO Black Soybeans also helped massive popularization of these beans from the mid-70s onward. Black soybeans were originally seen as a lucky charm which helped ensure health, and it is our hope to help as many people as possible be "mame ni, tassha de ("healthy and fit," a play on the Japanese word "mame," which can mean both "healthy" and "beans") by making delicious and healthy TAMBAGURO black soybeans a part of their regular diet. The history of Odagaki is the history of TAMBAGURO black soybeans. In order to provide our customers with soybeans worthy of our reputation as a renowned black soybean shop, our master artisans continue to select only the best beans according to traditional methods unchanged since ancient times, putting their hearts into hand picking each and every one to ensure only the highest quality black soybeans. Odagaki will continue to provide our customers nationwide with safe, delicious, and highest quality Odagaki brand black soybeans and Dainagon adzuki beans of surpassing shape, color, texture, and size. HOME