A Sacred Place for Natural Sun-Dried Salt – Kochi
"Natural sun-dried salt" is made through a painstaking process that uses no artificial heat or fuel—only the power of the sun and wind to concentrate and crystallize seawater.
Kochi Prefecture is known as the leading region for this traditional method in Japan, with around 70% of salt producers in the area practicing it.
While Japan’s humid climate and limited flat coastal land make this method especially challenging compared to overseas, Kochi has seen a new wave of young salt makers emerging.
Among them is Tanoya Ginzo, who, at just 26, launched his own saltworks in Tosa City. He’s pioneering a world-first approach: crafting salt using groundwater seawater filtered through sandy soil, powered only by sunlight.
A Young Artisan’s Challenge
His real name is Takuma Komatsu. After graduating from university, Ginzo and his girlfriend(wife) repeatedly requested an apprenticeship under master salt craftsman Tanoya Enjiro, known for creating a wide variety of custom-made salts, eventually gaining permission.
While secretly observing and learning the artisan techniques, they spent three years tirelessly searching for land and funding to launch his own saltworks, working without a single day off.
At age 24, after completing his apprenticeship and being granted the name 'Tanoya Ginzo' by his master, he was introduced—through the support of Tosa City—to sandy terrain and groundwater seawater sourced from the Niyodo River in Kochi. He discovered that this high-quality seawater, naturally filtered through the sand, could be pumped up consistently regardless of weather conditions. This led him to choose a coastal area in the Nii district of Tosa City as the location for his saltworks.
Driven by a desire to show the next generation that "if you're motivated, anything is possible," he chose not to rely on grants or subsidies. He committed to funding the project himself and finally opened his saltworks in April 2021, after overcoming countless challenges.
Ginzo’s Salt
The raw material—groundwater seawater—has a slightly lower salinity than typical seawater, giving the resulting salt a gentle, refined flavor.
At the saltworks, seawater is showered from the ceiling, slowly concentrated under the sun and wind, and poured into over 150 cedar crystal boxes.
In the harsh environment where temperatures inside the greenhouse can exceed 60°C (140°F), Ginzo carefully adjusts airflow, temperature, and humidity daily. He stirs the seawater by hand, occasionally adding more, gradually guiding it to crystallization.
He can detect the salinity and water temperature just by touch—a true artisan's skill.
Using all five senses—taste, aroma, texture, color—he listens to the “voice” of the salt and nurtures it over several months until the crystals reach perfection.
This rare, handcrafted salt prioritizes quality over efficiency or quantity. Its excellence even captivated the executive chef of a luxury hotel, who immediately adopted it. Upon release, the product quickly sells out and often has a waiting list.
Ginzo Salt Reaching the World
Ginzo can adjust the size, shape, taste balance, and melting characteristics of the salt crystals to meet chefs’ specific requests.
Chefs constantly search for the perfect salt to enhance their dishes—but among the tens of thousands of salts worldwide, finding “the one” is no easy task.
By crafting salt tailored to their exact needs, Ginzo enables the salt to "find the chef," rather than the other way around.
His mission is to redefine how we experience salt—and to share ‘Ginzo Salt’ from Kochi with kitchens and tables around the world.
