Oh… Hey, candy that tastes like soy sauce… Thanks?

In these relentlessly hot days, many people forget that in addition to water, salt also must be consumed to stay adequately hydrated. I know I sure did and I have the tummy ache and mental fog to show for it. But I’m going to power through all that to bring you this exciting candy news.

Those attending summer events in central Japan’s Gunma Prefecture might be able to get their hands on some free soy sauce candy. Granted, given all the wonderful flavors of candy in the world, “soy sauce” might be kind of low in the rankings, but if you need a quick sodium chloride boost it certainly adds a dash of flavor to ordinary salt candies.

Especially since these candies are made with Shoda Shoyu’s Double Fermented Premium Soy Sauce for a particularly rich flavor. This is actually the second year that Shoda Shoyu gave out these candies, and they got a lot of positive feedback from Gunma residents about them last time.

About 50,000 candies will be produced this year but none will be sold. The only way to get it is for free at sporting events, summer festivals, and other similar outdoor events throughout the prefecture. Gunma is one of Japan’s hardest-hit regions for heatwaves and holds the national record for the longest heatwave, with 46 days in 2023, and some cities there have come within a degree of the highest temperature records.

Speaking of Gunma, the colorful packages are designed with the theme of Tatebayashi Tsumugi, a traditional fabric produced in Tatebayashi City, where Shoda Shoyu is also based. Like many traditional Japanese crafts, the number of people who can make Tatebayashi Tsumugi is steadily decreasing, but thanks to the Internet, it’s possible for them to sell their unique goods more widely.

Still, it would be nice to go to Tatebayashi and check out its wares in person if possible, and hopefully get some free soy sauce candy too.

One upcoming event where the candies will be is the Tatebayashi Festival and Fireworks Display on 12 and 13 July. They’ll also be given out at the Gunma Marathon in Maebashi City, though it probably won’t be so hot when that’s held on 3 November… probably.

Source: PR Times, Tatebayashi Tsumugi
Images: PR Times
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