Asahi Shimbun
A bonito specialist’s journey into plant-based dashi.
The article explored why Hamaya began making dashi without bonito, and its focus on aroma and umami.
About us
A new possibility, born from Hamaya’s knowledge of dashi.
Our philosophy, and the story behind it.
01.Our philosophy of dashi
A tradition of curiosity.
A future of flavor.
The aroma of dashi rises from a bowl. Even before the first taste, it brings a sense of anticipation. At Hamaya, that quiet power has always held our attention.
Our work began with bonito flakes in Tsuruhashi, Osaka, in 1947. From professional kitchens to family tables, we have built a knowledge of dashi: how to make it, and how to recognize what makes it good.
We brought that sensory knowledge into conversation with aroma research. As bonito specialists, could we make a satisfying dashi without bonito? MAGI DASHI is the plant-based drop that grew from that question.
Our commitment to flavor stays the same. What we want to expand is the number of tables it can reach.
02.A message from Tadashi Kimura
A message from
Tadashi Kimura
Good food, shared
at one table.
People can sit at the same table and still have to eat different meals. Respecting individual beliefs and dietary needs matters deeply. Alongside that care, I want to create more moments when people can share a dish and say to one another: this is delicious.
Bonito dashi remains at the heart of our work. We want to build on that tradition by offering another choice: plant-based dashi. Everything we have learned about aroma and umami helps us shape that new possibility.
Our ambition is a dashi people choose for its flavor. In everyday cooking and plant-based menus alike, we want it to play a supporting role, bringing out the best in the ingredients.
For cooks, a shared dashi base offers a starting point for a wider menu. With care for each person’s dietary needs, we hope to create more opportunities to enjoy good food together and bring Japanese dashi to tables around the world. ONE TABLE is our wish for that future.
President, HamayaTadashi Kimura
ONE TABLE — More good food, shared.
03.The Hamaya story
From Tsuruhashi, Osaka.
Transforming tables around the world.
From the founder to his daughter, and now to third-generation president Tadashi Kimura, carrying the family business forward has become a continuing exploration of dashi.
01 / ROOTS
Rooted in bonito.
Three generations. A shared commitment to dashi.
- FounderSanya Kimura
- Second generationSachiko Kimura
- Third generationTadashi Kimura
- 1947
Hamaya begins in Tsuruhashi.
Hamaya’s founder established the business in Osaka. The name Hamaya brings together a character from Hamakatsu, where he trained, and one from his own name.
- 2nd gen.
Carrying the family business forward.
The founder’s daughter took up the work. Alongside the life of Tsuruhashi, Hamaya continued serving the kitchens that relied on its dashi.
- 2000
A stronger foundation for production.
A new factory opened in Higashinari, Osaka, as production expanded.
- c. 2008–
Passing on the pleasure of dashi.
Under the name Katsuo Bushi, Tadashi Kimura began sharing food education and dashi-making. An online shop and the Shunderu dashi pack followed in 2009, bringing Hamaya’s work to home cooks as well as chefs.
02 / EXPLORATION
Questioning a familiar flavor.
Knowledge coming together.
- Dashi expertiseHamaya
- Aroma researchResearch with 香味醗酵
- Plant-based technologyAn encounter with MIRACORE
- 3rd gen.
Changing in order to carry on.
Tadashi Kimura developed new approaches to sales, digital operations and products, finding new ways to apply the family’s knowledge.
- 2021
Exploring aroma through research.
Joint research began with an Osaka University spin-off, bringing aroma research together with Hamaya’s sensory knowledge. An aroma-focused venture, Real Flavor, also became part of that exploration.
- An idea
Reconsidering aroma and depth.
What makes bonito dashi taste the way it does? A hypothesis emerged: by understanding how aroma and depth work together, might it be possible to approach that flavor without bonito?
- A meeting
Plant-based technology meets dashi knowledge.
An encounter with Fuji Oil’s plant-based technology, MIRACORE, led to joint development. Combining that technology with Hamaya’s experience, the team explored a satisfying flavor from plant-based ingredients.
03 / A NEW DROP
New possibilities, one drop at a time.
- 2025.07
Introducing MAGI DASHI.
A journey spanning approximately five years led to the launch of KURO — a versatile tsuyu with bonito-style flavor. A bonito specialist had created a new dashi option without animal-derived ingredients.
- 2025–26
From KURO to SHIRO. From Japan to new tables.
SHIRO, a shiro dashi with bonito-style flavor, joined the range. Exhibiting at ANUGA 2025 and Gulfood 2026 brought MAGI DASHI to conversations with kitchens in Japan and beyond.
- 2026.05
A drop for smaller occasions.
A 100 ml format was introduced for trying MAGI DASHI and using it in smaller quantities, opening up more ways to bring dashi to the table.
HERITAGE INTO POSSIBILITYThe seas are changing.
The seas are changing.
So is our idea of dashi.
As ocean conditions and the way we eat evolve, we want to carry dashi culture forward. We are bringing what we know about bonito to a new, plant-based expression of dashi.
Two products born from knowledge and research
04.In the media
A new direction.
A story being shared.
Hamaya’s history, plant-based dashi development and the thinking behind ONE TABLE, seen through different media perspectives.
Read Hamaya’s report (Japanese)
NHK
Afternoon LIVE News Soon
Changing dietary needs, and the search for satisfying flavor from plant-based ingredients.
TV Tokyo
World Business Satellite (WBS)
The product press conference, and a new direction for Japanese dashi culture around the world and across generations.
Sankei Shimbun / Yahoo! News
The story behind plant-based dashi
Why an established bonito specialist began developing plant-based dashi for kitchens in Japan and overseas.
Japan Foodservice Newspaper
A new option for professional kitchens
Carrying dashi culture forward through product development for the foodservice industry.
Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun
A conversation with Tadashi Kimura
Sharing the appeal of bonito around the world, and the thinking behind MAGI DASHI.
Dates refer to publication of our news reports and may differ from the broadcast or newspaper date.
View all news05.Company Profile
Company Profile
- Company
- Hamaya
- Founded
- January 1947
- Representative
- Tadashi Kimura
- Head office
- 2-5-18 Tsuruhashi, Ikuno-ku, Osaka, Japan
- Business
- Bonito flake production and sales, wholesale dashi products, and recipe development