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The story of Kenji Tsukamoto was something that I found out of the blue.  I was visiting Sado. Hirahara-san, my guide, mentioned that there was a Koji-ya, a mold-maker, that lived in this town.  Until then, I had never met anyone who made mold for a living.  I was curious.  I asked Hirahara-san to take me to Tsukamoto's shop.  Tsukamoto was not there at first. He had gone to the beach with his grandchildren.  So I went out for a little bite of sushi (delicious by the way).  When I came back later, Tsukamoto  showed me the factory where the miso was made. Tsukamoto  was a"larger than life" person, passionate about  making miso the artisanal way.  He is a fourth generation miso maker.  I  was totally inspired.  I wrote about Tsukamoto and his miso-making for the Los Angeles Times (here is the link) food section.  You will also find recipes and instructions on How to Make Miso.  I even started making my own.   

Sea of Japan