President of Kamebishi, a soy sauce brewing company Kaori Okada gathers wheat, beans and others at the company in Higashikagawa City, Kagawa Prefecture on Oct. 16, 2023. Kamebishi is the only company in Japan that uses the traditional "mushiro koji method," in which koji malted rice grown on mushiro straw mat is used.( The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images )