A close-up of a traditional wooden kioke barrel with a bamboo pole resting diagonally across the rim

Person holding a handful of soybeans over an open brown paper bag.

A large black mesh shade net suspended over rows of lush green tea plants in a tea plantation.

A large wooden kioke barrel with a wooden ladder leaning against it, set inside a warehouse or production room with windows, concrete floors, and other large vessels nearby.

A small white ceramic bowl filled with cooked white rice, placed on a warm wooden surface with a wooden spoon partially visible in the background.

Close-up of dark, textured rectangular wood inside red plastic crates.

A table at an event displays various Japanese food products including jars, bags, and a cup, with a person pouring tea from a pitcher into a cup. Two people are visible in the background.

"Shokuya" means "food store"

We import artisanal Japanese kitchen staples: rice, shoyu, matcha, tea, and other ingredients. We focus on local suppliers who grow and make their products using natural methods. We tell their stories truthfully, learn from them, and share what we learn with you. We are not chefs, but we offer basic guidance on how to use our products.

A close-up of tea being poured from a beige ceramic teapot through a metal strainer into a blue-and-white ceramic bowl on a wooden tea tray.

Our Approach

We want to build a portfolio of delicious products and increase awareness of the people who make them. We want to serve both the novice and the expert. Most of all, we want to bring you joy.

We carry products that are delicious on their own. We taste and taste again to select the very best. Our business today is the result of research, careful selection, and trust in our suppliers and their products. In the future, we will share more instructions and recipes.

Supplier Selection

Our Principles

We believe safety, health, sustainability, and renewal are the most important principles of any food and beverage business. We work with producers who hold high standards for safety, cleanliness, environmental care, and community development.

Many of our suppliers use organic farming and production methods, even if they do not have organic certification. We are applying for organic certification as an importer so we can label JAS-certified organic products as "organic."

We started in Kyushu, Japan’s southern island, so we can travel within a smaller area and consolidate shipments from the region. Whenever possible, we use recycled and compostable packaging.

Our Suppliers

Most of our suppliers are small, multi-generational craftspeople living deep in the Japanese countryside. Many of these areas are struggling as young people move away and the population ages. The average age of a farmer in Japan is around 65. We work with many young owners who are reviving their family companies and their local communities. Because their capacity is limited, we take on much of the work to make exporting manageable and profitable for them. We believe our greatest contribution is to strengthen the financial health of our suppliers and their communities.