About
MIKURA Vinegary

“Despite our short history in vinegar production, we are proud of our process and ingredients”

Toei Co., Ltd. is a company founded in 1977 with its head office in Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture. In 2015, the company’s representative undertook the restructuring of a vinegar manufacturer located in Mihama Town, Mie Prefecture, thereby transforming the company from a business in a completely different industry into a vinegar manufacturer. In July 2021, coinciding with the opening of VISON in Taki Town, the company reorganized its operations and began managing the MIKURA Vinegary store, as well as engaging in manufacturing, wholesale, and retail operations.
The store name “MIKURA Vinegary” was chosen to signify a vinegar brewery—a producer of vinegar—much like a winery or brewery. Even within the VISON store in Taki Town, vinegar is fermented and brewed in wooden barrels.
The manufacturing hub in Mihama Town is located 180 km away from the head office in Yokkaichi City. Even within Mie Prefecture, the Hokusei region and the Higashi-Kishu region have different climate zones. Mihama Town is blessed with such a warm climate that it is known as a town where mandarin oranges can be harvested year-round. This warm climate provides an ideal environment for acetic acid bacteria to thrive and work freely during acetic acid fermentation in wooden barrels.
At MIKURA Vinegary, we are committed to the traditional wooden-barrel method, brewing our vinegar by harnessing the power of nature and allowing time to take its course. While this method—using wooden barrels instead of machinery—naturally limits the amount that can be produced in each batch, it allows healthy acetic acid bacteria to flourish. Rather than simply producing vinegar as a seasoning, we care for our wooden barrels with the mindset of nurturing life itself. By protecting and cultivating these vibrant acetic acid bacteria, we create richly flavored vinegar. Each barrel develops its own distinctive character depending on the temperature and weather throughout the year, resulting in subtle differences from batch to batch. We then process the finished vinegar into products, preserve the mother vinegar for the next cycle, and repeat the acetic acid fermentation process.
Fermented foods are fascinating; they can sometimes turn out in ways that exceed human expectations. This is a testament to the activity and growth of microorganisms, resulting in a product that is more delicious than anticipated—and beyond imagination. Wooden barrels are not equipped with devices to exchange the air necessary for acetic acid fermentation. However, this condition—which some might call an inconvenience—becomes a distinctive feature of the production method and gives rise to unique flavor profiles. By allowing the vinegar to ferment and age slowly over time, we produce a vinegar with a rich aroma and a deep, complex flavor.

The logo of “MIKURA Vinegary” is composed of
a line that symbolizes the mountain range of Kumano Sanzan,
a straight line that expresses sincerity, and
a line that symbolizes Kumano Sea which opens up to the future.
These three lines expresses the immovable earth and the bright future that lies ahead.