Soy sauce bottles are labeled at San-J facility in Henrico on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023.
For more than 200 years, San-J International has been a leading provider of soy sauce worldwide, raking in $50 million of annual revenue. Fresh Udon Noodles
For Richmonders who purchase San-J products at their preferred supermarkets, many do not realize that the sauces are being produced in their own backyard in Henrico County.
“Most of the people who live in Richmond do not know they have this soy sauce factory nearby,” San-J President Takashi Sato said.
Sato, 51, is the eighth generation of his family to head San-J since the company was founded as San-Jirushi in 1804. He is a hands-on president who will do anything from traveling across the world to collaborate with stores and restaurants to fixing a box stuck in the assembly line while giving a tour.
“Being president of the soy sauce company is exciting,” Sato said. “Working in this industry, which is expanding, is exciting.”
The company’s lone United States facility produces around 50 kiloliters of soy sauce daily, resulting in more than 160,000 10-ounce bottles. The factory produces other varieties, such as teriyaki, Mongolian, sweet and tangy, Szechuan and Thai peanut sauces.
Bottles of freshly pressed soy sauce await labels in the San-J facility in Henrico County.
The sauces are spotted on shelves at stores such as Kroger and Food Lion. The products can also be found in restaurants, such as California Pizza Kitchen, which infuses San-J organic and reduced-sodium sauces in some of its menu offerings.
San-J operated exclusively in Japan until a U.S. branch was established 45 years ago. Sato’s father was a sales representative for Toyota in the 1970s, working in the U.S. to sell cars to American clients. He knew the owner of sushi and Japanese steakhouse Benihana and often entertained his clients there.
At Benihana, Sato’s father typically ate beef with soy sauce. After noticing that some Americans took to enjoying the soy sauce, he decided to quit his job at Toyota and create the first San-J office in the U.S. in 1978.
Sato’s father, who eventually became president of the company, worked in Tokyo, with a company vice president assigned to work stateside.
Eighty vats hold fermenting soy beans for six months in a room at the San-J facility in Henrico, for now, the company’s lone U.S. operation.
The American operation began as a sales office in Richmond, importing the soy sauce from Japan. Eventually, sales became high enough that the company built a factory in 1987.
The eastern Henrico location at 2880 Sprouse Drive was chosen for a variety of reasons. Its proximity to Interstate 95, as well as the Port of Virginia, made for good logistics.
The high humidity of Virginia compared well to Japan’s climate, and the Virginia mountains provided good water to add to the soy sauce production.
Virginia’s status as one of the country’s biggest wine producers also made for an appealing location, with wine going through a fermentation process just as soy sauce does. “If your land is good for wine, it must be good for soy sauce,” Sato said.
The commonwealth’s lack of a robust Japanese community at the time actually worked to San-J’s advantage, as the company could focus on marketing to American consumers instead of residing in places such as New York and California that already had a built-in Japanese customer base.
Sato, who was born and raised in Tokyo, took over as San-J president in 2001 after his father retired, and moved to Richmond to oversee the business.
San-J International President Takashi Sato is the eighth generation of his family to head the company since it was founded in 1804.
“Living here is a great experience,” Sato said. “I thought I wanted to go back to Tokyo in a couple years, but after living here, I learned that I liked my life in Richmond.”
According to Sato, the soy sauce industry in Japan has been shrinking as the country’s eating habits become more Westernized. Meanwhile, the soy sauce market continues to grow in the U.S.
While soy sauce competitor Kikkoman holds more than half the market share, San-J offers a unique product that distinguishes itself.
San-J produces a tamari soy sauce, made with 100% soybeans, while Kikkoman’s sauces are half soy and half wheat. It is a six-month process from soybean to bottle.
San-J produces a tamari soy sauce, made with 100% soybeans that ferment for six months before being bottled.
“It’s not a matter of good or bad; it’s just different,” Sato said. “Like red wine and white wine, it’s just a matter of preference.”
The higher levels of protein in tamari give San-J’s sauces an umami (savory) taste. The lack of wheat also allows for people with gluten allergies to consume the sauces.
In addition to the U.S., the Henrico factory serves Canada as part of the North American market, and is beginning distribution in Mexico. San-J’s products are also exported to Europe and Australia.
Product demands became greater for San-J, after decades operating in the U.S., and the facility’s original capacity could not fill all the orders.
Soy sauce is packaged and ready to ship from the Henrico factory, which serves the United States and Canada, and is beginning distribution in Mexico. San-J’s products are also exported to Europe and Australia.
In 2015, Virginia’s then- Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced that San-J would invest $38 million to expand its factory. McAuliffe met with San-J officials in Tokyo and approved a $300,000 performance-based grant for the project.
The expansion was completed in 2019, and the facility employs close to 100 workers today.
At this stage of production, fermented soybeans are pressed at the factory, which employs close to 100 people.
Sato anticipates that the company will have to expand again by 2030, either adding to the existing facility or establishing a second U.S. facility.
For now, Sato is continuing to lead San-J as the company introduces new products, such as a citrus ponzu sauce and a soy-free sauce made with peas.
San-J International President Takashi Sato shines a light on freshly pressed soy sauce. The Henrico factory produces around 50 kiloliters of soy sauce daily, resulting in over 160,000 10-ounce bottles.
Between running the company and tending to two young children, Sato does not find much time to partake in hobbies.
“I’ve got two babies, so I’m kind of busy taking care of them,” Sato said. “Including changing diapers, I have a lot of tasks.”
In June 1946, 3,000 Shriners staged a parade downtown as part of the 60th anniversary celebration for Richmond’s ACCA Temple. Nearly 300 candidates for admission to the temple were present for induction rites at the event. Here, the Richmond Guard of Honor marched in the parade.
In September 1953, Eleanor Roosevelt, acting as the first woman delegate to the United Nations, spoke to an estimated 5,000 people at the Mosque (now Altria Theater) in Richmond. Her talk covered the work of the U.N., and she took hundreds of questions from the audience.
This February 1940 image shows the cornerstone-laying ceremony for the new state library on Capitol Street near the Executive Mansion. The art-deco building was the library’s third location – it moved to its fourth and current site, at 800 E. Broad St., in 1997.
In February 1944, a group of Lakeside air raid wardens rolled bandages for the Red Cross at the Hatcher Memorial Church on Dumbarton Road in Henrico County. During World War II, the sight of women in overalls doing what traditionally had been men’s jobs had grown familiar. And while the reverse was less common, the military’s need for surgical dressings prompted these men to help answer the call. They had taken first-aid courses, too.
In March 1946, British wartime leader Winston Churchill’s trip to America included an address to the General Assembly. He waved to a crowd that waited in the rain to see him as his motorcade came through Capitol Square in Richmond.
This April 1946 image shows members of the Girl Reserve Club at Maggie Walker High School in Richmond. Club activities included drama, knitting, glass painting, embroidery and sewing. From left were Laura Belle Manning, Marie Spurlock, Eloise Taylor and Gladys Claxton.
In January 1948, a worker cleared snow from the Capitol Square walkways in downtown Richmond. The George Washington Equestrian Monument is in the background.
In March 1949, high water on Dock Street in downtown Richmond followed a brief flood that caused no damage. The James River crested at 13.1 feet during the afternoon but receded by 5 feet within hours.
On Oct. 12, 1958, just before 2 p.m., a rare triple railroad crossing was organized in Richmond. Officials of the Southern, Seaboard, and Chesapeake and Ohio railroads arranged for trains to cross simultaneously -- a staging they had done previously in 1911, 1926 and 1949. The event lured local and out-of-town rail enthusiasts.
In October 1954, Hurricane Hazel swept through Richmond and left its mark on the old Trinity Methodist Church on Church Hill. The steeple of the church, which by then was occupied by New Light Baptist Church, lost its top 25 feet. Despite pre-storm efforts to raise funds to restore the nearly 90-year-old spire, the hurricane damage was insurmountable, and the entire steeple was removed in 1955.
In January 1956, Virginia Union University basketball players listened to coach Tom Harris. From left are Junius Pretty, Steve Gwin, Carl Smith, Carl Draper and Ronald Bressant.
In January 1958, U.S. Sen. John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts was in Richmond to speak to the Woman’s Club about foreign policy with Russia. Douglas Southall Freeman’s widow, Inez, was president of the club and had a chance to visit with Kennedy.
In May 1952, Richmond police Sgt. R.J. Primm made final adjustments to the pocketbook of policewoman Thelma Wilkinson, who was preparing for her first shift. The pocketbook was an important piece of the uniform, as it concealed a first-aid kit.
This February 1953 image shows East Main Street near 10th Street in downtown Richmond, with Rao’s Restaurant on the corner at left.
In May 1950, Willie Bradby (left) and Pamunkey Chief Tecumseh Deerfoot Cook checked a shad net on their reservation in King William County. The tribe had a profitable year from fishing, so it made a donation to the Richmond Memorial Hospital building fund in memory of tribe member Charles Bush, who had been killed in World War II. The chief noted that sick tribe members were treated at Richmond hospitals, so the Pamunkey wanted to help the construction effort.
In April 1963, Laura Vietor was recognized for her longtime nursing work at Sheltering Arms Hospital in Richmond. She was awarded the Elizabeth D. Gibble Volunteer of the Year Award for her many years of service, which included full-time volunteer nursing even after retiring at age 65.
In November 1961, Gov.-elect Albertis S. Harrison Jr. sat with wife Lacey (right) and daughter Toni. In a profile about the rising first family of Virginia, the three shared that they enjoyed playing bridge together, and Toni said she liked playing golf with her father while quizzing him about political affairs.
04-11-1965: New Ancarrow Ramp--Newton Ancarrow opened his boat launching facility on the James River at the foot of Maury St. this week as white perch and hickory shad anglers sought a Richmond access to the river. The 250-foot launching ramp is 42 feet wide. It is lighted and will be open 24 hours per day.
In March 1966, mailroom workers prepared bundles of papers for the delivery trucks at Richmond Newspapers Inc. on Grace Street downtown. Today, the Richmond Times-Dispatch pressroom and mailroom are located in Hanover County.
In May 1967, Old City Hall in Richmond was the backdrop for the ceremonial groundbreaking for a new City Hall building. The Gothic Revival structure at 10th and Broad streets was completed in the 1890s. The new, 21-story building was completed in 1971 and was Richmond’s tallest building for several years.
In January 1966, Richmond Airport featured a new white fence that stretched 5,000 feet along U.S. Route 60 at the airport’s entrance in Henrico County. The $3,000 project was aimed at roadside beautification and runway security: The fence was expected to discourage spectators from walking across the airfield to watch takeoffs and landings.
Rev. Goodwin Douglas marches at Farmville. He is pastor of Beulah A.M.E. Church.
Tennis star Arthur Ashe Jr. admired his Eastern Grass Court Championship trophy at his home on Aug. 10, 1964. He was the sixth-ranked amateur in the nation that year and beat established players such as Dennis Ralston and Clark Graebner en route to the title.
In August 1969, Main Street Station in downtown Richmond sparkled in the floodwaters left by Hurricane Camille. The James River peaked at 28.6 feet in the storm.
In July 1948, Vincent K. Bass said goodbye to “Old 912,” an electric trolley car that had been in service in Richmond for nearly 40 years. Bass, a streetcar conductor for 42 years, was reluctantly learning to drive a bus – the following year, the city introduced a bus system to replace the streetcars. A contractor purchased this streetcar; the owner said he might use some of it for storage or as bunking quarters for some employees.
In November 1951, the Virginia Teachers Association, an organization of black educators, held its annual convention at Virginia Union University in Richmond. Exhibits included one promoting the “Booker T. Washington Birthplace Memorial.” To help fund the purchase of the famed educator’s birthplace in Franklin County, commemorative U.S. half-dollar coins were minted between 1946 and 1951 to appeal to collectors. In 1956 – 100 years after his birth – the site was designated the Booker T. Washington National Monument.
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Soy sauce bottles are labeled at San-J facility in Henrico on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023.
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San-J International President Takashi Sato is the eighth generation of his family to head the company since it was founded in 1804.
Bottles of freshly pressed soy sauce await labels in the San-J facility in Henrico County.
Eighty vats hold fermenting soy beans for six months in a room at the San-J facility in Henrico, for now, the company’s lone U.S. operation.
Soy sauce is packaged and ready to ship from the Henrico factory, which serves the United States and Canada, and is beginning distribution in Mexico. San-J’s products are also exported to Europe and Australia.
San-J produces a tamari soy sauce, made with 100% soybeans that ferment for six months before being bottled.
At this stage of production, fermented soybeans are pressed at the factory, which employs close to 100 people.
San-J International President Takashi Sato shines a light on freshly pressed soy sauce. The Henrico factory produces around 50 kiloliters of soy sauce daily, resulting in over 160,000 10-ounce bottles.
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