What Soya no Shio is
- Pronounced so-ya no shi-o. The maker is Tagami Shokuhin Kogyo of Wakkanai, Hokkaido.
- The raw material is seawater from the Soya Strait and nothing else, at the northern tip of Japan. Pipes buried in the seabed draw up water that has been filtered naturally through stone, gravel and sand.
- The method: concentrated brine is sprayed onto a heated rotating drum so the water evaporates all at once. The whole process, from drawing the water to taking the salt, is patented.
- Magnesium comes to around 3,300mg per 100g. The grains are a fine powder that does not stick to your fingers, with a bitterness like nigari and a savory depth left behind.
- You can buy it at souvenir shops in Wakkanai, online, and through Wakkanai's furusato nozei program. A 250g bag runs from the 600-yen range to the 1,000-yen range, depending on the shop.
"Soya no Shio" is a salt made by Tagami Shokuhin Kogyo in the city of Wakkanai, Hokkaido. It reads so-ya no shi-o. Its only raw material is the seawater of the Soya Strait (宗谷海峡), at the northern tip of Hokkaido.
This page sets out who makes Soya no Shio and how, how it tastes and what it is good for, and where to buy it, in that order. For the composition and the method, we have included only what we could confirm from retailer product labels and a specialist seasoning site.
The essentials
First, what we could confirm, on one page.
- Product name: Soya no Shio (そうやのしお)
- Maker: Tagami Shokuhin Kogyo / Wakkanai, Hokkaido
- Raw material: 100% seawater from the Soya Strait
- Water intake: pipes buried in the seabed draw up water naturally filtered through stone, gravel and sand
- Method: the seawater is concentrated using waste heat, then sprayed onto a heated rotating drum so the water leaves all at once (patented)
- Composition (per 100g, retailer labels): magnesium 3,320 to 3,360mg / potassium 1,000 to 1,070mg / calcium 930 to 1,120mg
- Grain: a smooth, free-flowing powder that does not stick to your fingers
- Sizes: 250g and 100g
- Where to buy: souvenir shops in Wakkanai, shops selling Hokkaido products, online retailers such as Rakuten, Yahoo! and Amazon, and Wakkanai's furusato nozei program
The maker, Tagami Shokuhin Kogyo of Wakkanai
The company behind Soya no Shio is Tagami Shokuhin Kogyo, based in Wakkanai, Hokkaido. At the northern limit of Japan, it makes salt from local seawater alone.
Several online shops sell salt under the name "Soya no Shio," but the maker is Tagami Shokuhin Kogyo in every case. Check the maker field on the product page and you will not be confused, whether in a shop or online.
Soya no Shio has been described as a certified product of the "Wakkanai Brand," the city's program for local specialties, but it does not appear in the list of certified products on the official Wakkanai Brand website as of September 2026.
The northernmost sea, fed by drift ice
The Soya Strait lies between Hokkaido and Sakhalin. In winter, drift ice comes ashore, and it is known as one of the coldest seas in Japan. Drift ice carries iron and other nutrients that feed plankton, and as it melts it is thought to help drive the sea's nutrient cycle.
Pipes buried in the seabed, filtering seawater through sand
What sets Soya no Shio apart begins with how the seawater is drawn up.
Tagami Shokuhin Kogyo digs into the seabed, lays collecting pipes flat at the bottom, and buries them under stone, gravel and sand. Seawater passes through these layers before it enters the pipes, so by the time it is pumped up it has already been filtered naturally into clear water. It puts the sea's own cleansing action straight to work in the intake.
The water is then concentrated using waste heat. The concentrated brine is sprayed onto a heated rotating drum, where the water turns to steam in an instant and escapes from the top of the drum, leaving only salt on the drum's surface. This whole sequence, from drawing the water to taking the salt, is patented.
This is where it differs from salts slowly boiled down in a pot, or dried over time by sun and wind. Because the water is driven off all at once, the magnesium and other minerals dissolved in the seawater do not separate out from the crystals; they stay in the salt together.
Composition: around 3,300mg of magnesium per 100g
The nutrition labels shown by retailers (per 100g) are below. The figures vary a little by label date and shop, so we list both.
| Component (per 100g) | Label A | Label B |
|---|---|---|
| Magnesium | 3,360mg | 3,320mg |
| Potassium | 1,000mg | 1,070mg |
| Calcium | 1,120mg | 930mg |
| Salt equivalent | 67.72g | 71.9g |
The number to watch is magnesium. Magnesium is the main component of nigari, the ingredient that sets tofu, if that helps picture it. It brings a slight bitterness and depth, and softens the edge of the saltiness.
A salt equivalent of about 68 to 72g means roughly 30% less salt than the same weight of refined salt. That does not make it a salt to choose for cutting down on salt, though. Sprinkle the same amount and it tastes milder, but add more to make up for it and you end up eating the salt anyway. It is a salt to choose for its taste.
Side by side with refined salt and sun-dried salt
Where Soya no Shio sits becomes clear when you line it up with other common salts.
| Refined salt (table salt) | Sun-dried salt | Soya no Shio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Concentrated and refined by ion-exchange membrane | Water driven off by sun and wind | Seawater concentrated, then dried at once on a rotating drum |
| Sodium chloride | Over 99% | Around 85 to 95% | About 68 to 72% as salt equivalent |
| Magnesium | Almost none | Varies by origin | Around 3,300mg per 100g |
| Grain | Fine cubic crystals | Large, coarse crystals | A powder that does not stick to your fingers |
| Best uses | Preparation, cooking that needs precise amounts | Finishing, letting the ingredient speak | Seasoning before cooking, finishing, fried foods |
The difference between refined and natural salt itself is covered in detail in The difference between refined salt and natural salt.
How it tastes: bitterness first, then savory depth
Put it in your mouth and the saltiness arrives first, followed by bitterness and savory depth layered together. A specialist seasoning site describes it as having "a strong bitterness, a taste like nigari" and "a mild bitterness in the aftertaste."
It does not have the straight, sharp saltiness of refined salt that stings the tongue. Because the bitterness comes forward, tasted on its own it divides opinion. In cooking, the bitterness blends into the ingredients and what remains is a salt without sharp edges, and with depth.
The other feature is the grain. Soya no Shio is a smooth powder that does not stick to your fingers. What you pinch falls exactly where you let it go, so it is easy to control how much you sprinkle, and it handles well in dishes such as onigiri and tempura, where you want a thin, even coat of salt on the surface.
Another powdered salt high in magnesium is Yukishio, from Miyakojima in Okinawa. It is interesting that salts of a similar form are made separately at the northern and southern ends of the country.
Where it does not suit
Salts high in minerals draw moisture and clump easily. For baking and bread dough, where measuring matters, refined salt can be easier to handle. Also, a powdered salt tends to weigh more per teaspoon than a coarse-grained salt, so adding it exactly as a recipe states can make a dish too salty. Start with less and add more as you taste; that is the way to avoid mistakes.
Where can you buy Soya no Shio?
In shops in Wakkanai and Hokkaido
Souvenir shops in Wakkanai carry it, as do shops and souvenir counters selling Hokkaido products. If you visit Wakkanai, look on the salt shelf in the souvenir section and it is easy to find.
Online
Besides Rakuten Ichiba, Yahoo! Shopping and Amazon, some natural food shops sell it through their online stores. The standard bag is 250g, and there is a 100g bag as well.
The 250g bag ranges from the 600-yen range to the 1,000-yen range, depending on the shop. Many online shops charge shipping separately, and buying a single bag can leave you paying more for shipping than for the salt. To try it, pick the 100g bag; to keep it stocked, a set of 3 or 4 bags brings down the cost per bag including shipping. Before buying, check that the maker field shows Tagami Shokuhin Kogyo.
Furusato nozei
It is also offered as a return gift in Wakkanai's furusato nozei (hometown tax donation) program, in sets such as 250g x 4 bags. This is an option if you want to stock up at once.
How to enjoy it
- In shio musubi, plain salted onigiri. As a powder, it coats the palm of your hand thinly and evenly
- As a dipping salt for tempura, a use the specialist site recommends alongside onigiri
- As a sprinkle to prepare seafood such as salmon and scallops
- A pinch on steamed potatoes with butter (jaga-batā)
- A finishing shake in ramen broth
Swap only the salt for Soya no Shio in a dish you make often and the difference is easy to tell. For your first try, we recommend plain shio musubi with no filling. With nothing but rice and salt, you can taste exactly how the bitterness and savory depth linger.
Hokkaido is rich in what its seas and soil give, from salmon and scallops to potatoes. Try a salt made from the same northern sea with ingredients from the same island. More Hokkaido seasonings are on Seasonings of Hokkaido and the Hokkaido prefecture page.
Frequently asked questions
Which company makes Soya no Shio?
Tagami Shokuhin Kogyo, in Wakkanai, Hokkaido. It is a salt made from the seawater of the Soya Strait at the northern tip of Japan.
How is the name Soya no Shio pronounced?
It reads "so-ya no shi-o" (そうやのしお). The name comes from the Soya Strait (宗谷海峡) at the northern end of Hokkaido, and the maker, Tagami Shokuhin Kogyo, is in the city of Wakkanai (稚内市).
How does Soya no Shio differ from ordinary table salt?
Ordinary salt is refined to a sodium chloride purity of close to 100%, whereas Soya no Shio is made by drying seawater as it is, so a good deal of the sea's own minerals, magnesium above all, stays in it. Retailer nutrition labels put the magnesium at 3,320 to 3,360mg per 100g.
How much magnesium does Soya no Shio contain?
Nutrition labels shown by retailers (per 100g) give magnesium at 3,320 to 3,360mg, potassium at 1,000 to 1,070mg and calcium at 930 to 1,120mg. The figures vary a little by label date and shop. The salt equivalent is about 68 to 72g, roughly 30% less than refined salt, which is close to 100g.
Where can I buy Soya no Shio?
Souvenir shops in Wakkanai and shops selling Hokkaido products carry it, and you can order it online through Rakuten Ichiba, Yahoo! Shopping, Amazon and others. Some natural food shops sell it online too. It is also offered as a return gift in Wakkanai's furusato nozei (hometown tax donation) program.
What sizes does Soya no Shio come in, and what does it cost?
The standard bag is 250g, and there is a 100g bag as well. The 250g bag ranges from the 600-yen range to the 1,000-yen range depending on the shop. Online orders usually add shipping, so multi-bag sets, or the 250g x 4 bag set offered through furusato nozei, are worth considering.
What dishes does Soya no Shio suit?
Because the grains are a powder that coats food evenly, it works well for onigiri, tempura, and seasoning grilled fish before cooking. It also pairs well with Hokkaido seafood such as salmon and scallops, and with potatoes and butter.
My Soya no Shio has clumped. Is there a way to prevent that?
Salts high in minerals draw moisture out of the air and clump readily. This is not a sign that the quality has fallen off. Move it to an airtight container and keep it at room temperature, away from places where damp and heat collect, such as beside the stove or the sink. If it has clumped, break it up with a dry spoon and it will work exactly as before.
