Shimaya

What Shimaya does

Shimaya Co., Ltd. (株式会社シマヤ) is a privately held Japanese food seasoning manufacturer headquartered in Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, with a corporate founding date listed as 1890 and 251-500 employees. The company specializes in dashi (Japanese soup stock) and adjacent condiments — granulated and powdered dashi made from katsuobushi, konbu, iriko, shiitake, and charcoal-grilled tobiuo (flying fish), as well as tsuyu (soup base), miso, soy sauce, noodle condiments, hot-pot bases, and ready-to-use sauces. Its flagship consumer brand, "Shimaya Dashi no Moto" (シマヤだしの素), was launched in 1964 and celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2024 with a reformulated three-type katsuobushi blend. The portfolio extends across multiple sub-brands, including the Tokaseba powder stick series, the Kon de Nabe (粉de鍋) hot-pot line, the Kura no Aji Tsuyu concentrated sauces built on a proprietary 三段仕込み法 (three-stage brewing method), the Shizenha Shikou natural-focused dashi line, and a reduced-sodium line bearing the かるしお認定 (Karushio certification) from the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center.

The company's core technology is traditional Japanese seasoning manufacturing, with proprietary processes including the three-stage brewing method for the Tsuyu Jiman line, a 焼き干し (roasting-drying) method that uses far-infrared charcoal effects for the Yakiago Dashi line, and a co-developed 55% salt-reduction technology. Quality control is anchored by internally certified "Shimaya Katsuo Meister" craftsmen specializing in katsuobushi selection. The company maintains a content marketing ecosystem — a 100+ recipe website, YouTube recipe and TV commercial content, Twitter and Facebook accounts, dedicated product brand sites, factory tours at the Shunan facility, and seasonal campaigns such as the Summer Free Dashi Challenge.

Shimaya generates revenue through unit-priced, one-time retail transactions at price points ranging from 128 yen to over 2,000 yen, selling exclusively through Japanese supermarket and food retail channels to Japanese household consumers. There is no disclosed e-commerce, no international distribution, and no publicly disclosed revenue, funding, ownership, or management roster. The company is led by Representative Director and President Michita Harada, and operates under the corporate tagline "やさしく、おいしく" (gently, deliciously).

Name

Shimaya

Legal name

株式会社シマヤ (Shimaya Co., Ltd.)

Website

https://shimaya.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Shimaya Co., Ltd. is a privately held Japanese seasoning manufacturer based in Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, producing dashi, tsuyu, miso, soy sauce, and condiments sold through Japanese supermarket retail to household consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Japanese Packaged Seasonings and Condiments

NAICS

Flavoring Syrup and Concentrate Manufacturing (311930), Mayonnaise, Dressing, and Other Prepared Sauce Manufacturing (311941), Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFAKADAN

Pesto, Cooking Pastes & Concentrated Flavor Bases Manufacturing

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Processing & Manufacturing/Condiments, Sauces, Dressings & Spreads Manufacturing

SECONDARYAFAKADAO

Fermented & Specialty Condiments Manufacturing (Kimchi Base, Gochujang, Miso-Based Sauces)

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Processing & Manufacturing/Condiments, Sauces, Dressings & Spreads Manufacturing

SECONDARYAFAKADAF

Soy Sauce, Tamari & Asian Condiments Manufacturing

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Processing & Manufacturing/Condiments, Sauces, Dressings & Spreads Manufacturing

SECONDARYAFAJANAD

Spice Blends & Seasoning Mixes (Dry Rubs, Marinade Mixes)

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Ingredients & Additives/Seasons & Spices

Keywords

• Dashi soup stock
• Japanese seasonings
• Powdered broth
• Miso paste
• Noodle condiments

Headquarters

HQ city

Kudamatsu

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Consumer Packaged Goods - Seasonings and Condiments: Shimaya generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of packaged seasoning products including dashi powders/granules, soup bases, sauces, dipping condiments, soy sauce, miso, and noodle condiments. Products are sold to consumers through retail supermarket and food store channels across Japan.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Shimaya manufactures and sells packaged Japanese seasoning products, with its core offering being dashi (soup stock) in powder and granule form derived from katsuobushi, konbu, iriko, shiitake, and roasted flying fish. The portfolio also includes tsuyu/tare sauces (notably the Tsuyu Jiman line using a proprietary three-stage brewing process), miso, soy sauce, noodle condiments, hot pot bases, reduced-salt dashi certified by the Karushio program, and ready-to-use microwave sauces.

Product overview

株式会社シマヤ is a Japanese seasoning company specializing in dashi (broth base) and related condiment products. The product portfolio is organized around core dashi products (粉末 and 顆粒 forms of かつお, こんぶ, いりこ, しいたけ, and 焼きあご), complemented by sauce and seasoning sub-brands (溶かせば powder stick series, 粉de鍋 hot pot bases, 蔵の味つゆ concentrated sauces), miso products (芳醇ぶちうまい), and purpose-specific seasonings. The company also offers reduced-salt products (including かるしお certified items) and natural-focused lines (自然派思考だし). Products range from traditional Japanese cooking bases to modern convenient formats like microwave-ready packets and single-serve powder sticks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dashi no Moto (だしの素) - Core Dashi Powder and Granule Line Powder and granule dashi (broth base) products for Japanese home cooking, made from katsuobushi, konbu, iriko, and shiitake; the flagship line available in standard, reduced-salt, mini, and bulk package sizes.
• Yakiago Dashi (焼きあごだし) - Roasted Flying Fish Dashi Powder and granule dashi made from charcoal-grilled (far-infrared roasted) flying fish, yielding a distinctive aroma suitable for udon, hot pot, and simmered dishes.
• Tokaseba Series (溶かせばシリーズ) - Powder Stick Tsuyu and Tare Convenient single-serve powder sauces and tsuyu (somen, zaru soba) packaged in individually wrapped sticks that dissolve in water; designed for room-temperature storage and portability.
• Kon de Nabe (粉de鍋) - Powder Hot Pot Bases Multi-use powder hot pot seasoning bases in yose-nabe, tori-shio-nabe, and kimchi-nabe flavors, suitable for hot pot and broader cooking applications.
• Kura no Aji Tsuyu (蔵の味つゆ) - Concentrated and Straight Tsuyu Series Shimaya's signature sauce series including 4x concentrated and straight-form tsuyu products, leveraging the proprietary 三段仕込み (three-stage brewing) process for rich dashi flavor.
• Ho-jun Buchi Uwami Miso (芳醇ぶちうま) - Yamaguchi Barley Miso Wheat-barley miso from Yamaguchi Prefecture using local naked barley and regular barley; smooth texture suited for miso soup without stirring, with a sweet flavor profile.
• Dashi no Moto Mini Type (Instant Dashi Powder Mini) Compact package instant dashi powder featuring a premium three-type katsuobushi blend, sized for trial or single-use occasions.
• Katsuobushi Granulated Dashi (Granulated Katsuobushi Dashi Range) Granulated katsuobushi-based dashi offered in multiple package sizes from 42g trial (166 yen) to 1kg bulk (1,335 yen), serving everyday Japanese home cooking.
• Yakiago (Roasted Flying Fish) Dashi Powder Roasted flying fish dashi powder in 64g (207 yen), 112g (341 yen), and 160g (524 yen) pack sizes, used for udon, hot pot, and simmered dishes.
• Karushio Certified Reduced-Salt Dashi (Salt 55% Reduced) Salt-reduced dashi (55% sodium reduction) developed in partnership with the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, maintaining full dashi flavor for cardiovascular-conscious cooking.
• Microwave Chicken Charsiu Yuzu Salt Sauce (レンジで神うま神鶏の素 ゆず塩だれ) Microwave-ready yuzu-citrus salt sauce for quick chicken char-shiu preparation, combining refreshing yuzu flavor with rich chicken taste.
• Sanuki-style Udon Dashi Packets (讃岐風うどんだしの素) Udon soup base using iburi-shima sardine powder from the Seto Inland Sea combined with katsuobushi and kombu for rich, mellow Sanuki-style flavor; 48g (6 sticks) - 168 yen.
• Iriko Dashi Granules (Nagasaki-sourced Dried Sardine Dashi) Nagasaki-sourced dried sardine (iriko) dashi granules offered in 56g (8g×7 sticks, 207 yen), 128g (8g×16 sticks, 439 yen), and 140g (403 yen) formats.
• Shiitake Dashi Granules Shiitake-based dashi granules in 42g multi-stick pack (183 yen), providing vegetarian-friendly umami for Japanese cooking.
• Dashi no Moto Powder (Standard Granulated Dashi Range) Standard granulated dashi range sold across 120g (395 yen), 200g (653 yen), 300g (935 yen), 400g (1,195 yen), and 1kg (2,080 yen) package sizes for routine household use.
• Tsuyu Jiman Straight (つゆ自慢ストレート) - Premium Soy Sauce-Based Soup Stock Premium straight-form soy sauce-based soup stock produced with the proprietary 三段仕込み (three-stage brewing) method; 500ml at 300 yen.
• Dashi Packs (だしパック) - Pre-Seasoned Broth Packs Dashi pack products including 味付きおだし that combine katsuobushi, yakiago, and kombu for a pre-seasoned broth ready to pour.
• Noodle Seasonings (めん用調味料) Noodle seasoning product category including various udon, soba, and ramen soup bases for cold and hot noodle dishes.
• Soy Sauce (しょうゆ) Soy sauce products offered as part of Shimaya's seasoning portfolio for traditional Japanese cooking.
• Zosui / Rice Porridge (雑炊) Seasoning and Ready Products Rice porridge seasoning and ready-to-use products as part of the meal-convenience category.
• Shizenha Shikou Dashi (自然派思考だし) - Natural-Focused Dashi Line Natural-focused dashi product line featuring clean-label formulations targeted at ingredient-conscious consumers.
• Purpose-Specific Seasonings (用途別調味料) Purpose-specific seasonings including 浅漬の素 for quick pickles and microwave-friendly cooking sauces such as 神うまい神鶏の素.

Quantifiable outcome

• だしの素ミニタイプ launched 1964, reformulated for 60th anniversary with three-type katsuobushi blend

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Marukin Foods Co., Ltd. Japanese seasoning manufacturer specializing in dashi no moto, kombu, and bonito-based broth products. One of the most direct dashi competitors to Shimaya, with overlapping product formats and similar supermarket-channel distribution.
• Nagatanien Co., Ltd. Long-established Japanese manufacturer of furikake, dashi packets, and instant soup products. Closely comparable in dashi and seasoning sachet formats, with similar supermarket distribution and a comparable mid-sized private-company scale.
• Yamaki Co., Ltd. Long-established Japanese dashi and soup stock manufacturer with a heritage comparable to Shimaya, focused on katsuobushi and kombu-based products. Direct competitor in the powdered and granulated dashi category across Japanese retail.

Emerging players

• Kishibori Shoyu Co., Ltd. Premium Japanese soy sauce and condiment manufacturer with strong artisanal and regional positioning. Comparable to Shimaya in Japanese-condiment retail channels, premium positioning, and small-scale specialty manufacturing.
• Mishima Foods Co., Ltd. Japanese manufacturer of dried dashi, seaweed, and seasoning products with strong retail and foodservice presence. Directly comparable in dried dashi and seasoning formats; smaller scale and focused on the dashi/seaweed category.

Broad incumbents

• Kikkoman Corporation: Global leader in soy sauce and a significant producer of Japanese seasonings, tsuyu, and dashi-related products. Comparable in dashi-adjacent categories and in Japan retail distribution; substantially larger scale and broader international footprint than Shimaya.
• Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Japan's largest food and seasoning company and the maker of Hondashi, the dominant dashi brand in Japan. Directly comparable as a major Japanese seasoning manufacturer with national supermarket distribution, but operates at substantially larger scale across multiple food categories (umami seasonings, sauces, frozen foods).
• House Foods Group Inc. Major Japanese food manufacturer with a curry and spice heritage, also producing dashi, stew, and seasoning products. Comparable as a national Japanese seasoning/sauce manufacturer with retail supermarket presence across multiple categories.
• S&B Foods Inc. Japanese spice and seasoning company known for curry and wasabi, with adjacent presence in dashi and cooking sauces. Comparable as a Japan-based seasoning manufacturer with national supermarket distribution, though larger and more diversified.
• Mizkan Holdings Co., Ltd. Major Japanese condiment manufacturer with leading positions in tsuyu (soup base), vinegar, and soy sauce. Directly comparable product overlap in tsuyu and concentrated dashi-based sauces, with similar domestic retail distribution and a broader category portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/dashiwaza55?s=20
• Facebookfacebook.com/shimaya.dashinomoto

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shimaya