NINBEN Nihonbashi Main Store (also home to NIHONBASHI DASHI BAR Main Store)

Sharing Katsuobushi and Dashi Culture from Nihonbashi Since Its Founding

Since its founding in Nihonbashi in 1699, NINBEN has been in the katsuobushi business for more than 320 years. When Tokugawa Ieyasu established the shogunate in Edo in 1603, merchants and craftspeople from across Japan gathered in Nihonbashi, and the area developed into a thriving merchant district. NINBEN’s founder, Ihei Takatsu, was one of the merchants who set up shop here. Beginning as a katsuobushi merchant, NINBEN expanded its business while continuing to pass down the cultures of katsuobushi and dashi to the present day, with Nihonbashi Muromachi as its base.

Discover the Appeal of Freshly Shaved Katsuobushi Through a Hands-On Experience

“NINBEN Nihonbashi Main Store” places importance not only on sharing dashi culture, but also on communicating the katsuobushi culture at its roots. At the hands-on space inside the store, visitors can shave katsuobushi themselves while listening to explanations from the staff. They can enjoy the rich aroma and flavor unique to freshly shaved katsuobushi. Feeling the texture while shaving it and experiencing its fresh aroma are experiences unique to the main store that cannot be gained simply by purchasing the product. The store also sells original katsuobushi shavers and dashi pots so that people can enjoy dashi culture easily at home. Through these experiences and products, NINBEN also carries out food-education activities aimed at preserving katsuobushi culture and passing it on to future generations.
In addition, the store sells original products such as bonito flake shavers and dashi pots so that customers can easily enjoy dashi culture at home. Through these experiences and product sales, the store is also engaged in food education initiatives aimed at preserving bonito flake culture and passing it on to future generations.

Discover Freshly Shaved Honkare Katsuobushi and a Carefully Selected Whole Piece

At the shaving station in one corner of the store, visitors can watch katsuobushi being shaved up close. The freshly shaved honkare katsuobushi is packaged and sold as a product exclusive to the Nihonbashi Main Store. At NINBEN, honkare katsuobushi refers to katsuobushi that has undergone the processes of mold application and sun-drying at least four times. Taking approximately four to six months to complete, it is regarded as one of the finest forms of katsuobushi. The store also carries “Tokuginmi Honbushi,” its highest-grade product, with each piece individually inspected and selected by NINBEN’s experienced specialists. Learning about the different characteristics created by production regions and makers adds another dimension to choosing katsuobushi. Being able to find a piece that suits your own taste is one of the attractions of the Nihonbashi Main Store.

On NINBEN’s official YouTube channel, a video introduces the production process of honkare katsuobushi, from the producer to the point where it reaches consumers. The documentary carefully presents a food culture and craftsmanship that have continued since the Edo period. Be sure to check it out.

From Classic Favorites to New Flavors: NINBEN Products to Buy at the Main Store

“NINBEN Nihonbashi Main Store” carries more than 200 products, ranging from honkare katsuobushi shaved at the in-store shaving station to classic tsuyu sauce bases and dashi packs, products exclusive to the Nihonbashi Main Store, and versatile seasonings that can simply be poured or sprinkled over Japanese, Western, or Chinese dishes. “Some products have been created by researching products from other companies and adding an element of katsuobushi that is unique to NINBEN. We are often thought of as a dashi company, but as a katsuobushi specialty store, we believe it is important to preserve not only dashi culture but also the katsuobushi culture at its roots,” says Kentaro Suzuki, manager of the Nihonbashi Main Store.
Staff can explain the characteristics of the products and how to use them, making the store a good place not only to shop for home use but also to look for souvenirs from Nihonbashi.

Taste Freshly Shaved Katsuobushi on the Spot: A “One Soup, One Rice” Dashi Experience

At “NIHONBASHI DASHI BAR Main Store,” located inside “NINBEN Nihonbashi Main Store,” visitors can casually enjoy rice dishes and soups made with dashi drawn from honkare katsuobushi, based on the concept of “one soup, one rice.” The dishes are characterized by simple flavors that highlight the natural umami of dashi, and takeaway options such as dashimaki tamago and bento are also available. Monthly menu items developed by the store staff themselves to suit the season or special events are also popular. At lunchtime, the space is lively with office workers from nearby buildings and tourists. “We believe that proposing a variety of ways to use and eat katsuobushi can help increase its consumption and revitalize the industry. That, in turn, supports not only katsuobushi producers but also people involved in the fishing industry. We want to continue making proposals from NINBEN’s unique perspective that expand the possibilities of katsuobushi,” says Suzuki. Being able to actually taste the deliciousness of katsuobushi and dashi alongside shopping is an experience unique to the Nihonbashi Main Store. Through the experience of choosing products and tasting them, visitors can discover the depth of Japan’s dashi culture.
“We believe that suggesting various ways to use and enjoy katsuobushi will lead to increased consumption and revitalize the industry. This will also support not only katsuobushi producers but also everyone involved in the fishing industry. We want to continue making proposals that expand the possibilities of katsuobushi from Ninben’s unique perspective,” said Mr. Suzuki.
In addition to shopping at our main store, the Nihonbashi Main Store is the only place where you can actually taste the deliciousness of katsuobushi and dashi. Why not explore the depth of Japan’s dashi culture through the experience of selecting and tasting our products?