Interview of Supporter Stores SOMENOYA Barcelona

Somenoya Barcelona, based in Barcelona, Spain, is a Japanese company that manufactures and sells Japanese Tofu locally. Its origins trace back to April 2010, when retired newspaper journalist Tateo Shimizu founded Tofu Catalán. In 2022, the long-established Japanese Tofu maker Somenoya succeeded the business from Mr. Shimizu.

Somenoya was founded in 1862, during the Edo period, in the post town of Toride City, Ibaraki Prefecture. The company is known for adopting a mobile sales style, in which vendors would walk through the streets blowing a horn, and it continues to preserve Tofu-making techniques passed down since the Edo period. To firmly establish those techniques in Spain as well, experienced Japanese artisans moved to the region in January 2023 to provide on-site technical training to local workers. To ensure that their techniques become established in Spain, SOMENOYA Barcelona is taking new steps forward as a hub for promoting Japanese food culture by using Ibaraki-grown rice, Somenoya’s plant-based alternative meat “SoMeat,” and more.

In addition to Tofu, the company also offers products that make use of Japanese ingredients and techniques. One of the most notable is the plant-based alternative meat “SoMeat”. Developed in Japan by Somenoya, this soy-based meat recreates a “meat-like” texture and savory flavor without the use of any animal-derived ingredients. Carefully produced at domestic factories, it has become popular among European consumers with vegan or health-conscious lifestyles.

Furthermore, Ibaraki-grown rice is also one of Somenoya Barcelona’s key Japan-produced ingredients. Grown in a rich natural environment, this rice has the characteristic of not hardening easily even after it cools. It is used at local events and for bento lunches sold in stores, and is highly regarded as a symbol of Japanese food culture.

Tofu is a plant-based food made from soybeans and is rich in plant protein, isoflavones, and dietary fiber. In Japan, it is deeply connected to shojin cuisine (Buddhist vegetarian cuisine) and Zen food culture, and has long been loved as an ingredient that is “simple yet highly nourishing”. Its raw material, soybeans, is also used to make miso and soy sauce, which are indispensable elements of many Japanese dishes. Interestingly, soybeans are also produced in Europe, with their history there tracing back to the 1873 Vienna World’s Fair. The Japanese delegation brought soybeans to that World’s Fair, which led to the start of Japan-origin soybean cultivation in Austria. Somenoya Barcelona uses these Austria-grown soybeans of Japanese origin to produce its Tofu.

Mr. Masaya Kobayashi, the company’s representative, says that “the most important ingredient in Tofu making is love.” Because Tofu is extremely soft and delicate, most of the manufacturing process must be done by hand. The soybeans, which are essential to Tofu, must be pressurized and heated while carefully adjusting the heat to enhance their aroma, and special attention is required to draw out the maximum sweetness and richness. The coagulant “nigari” (brine, a byproduct of extracting salt from sea water), which is necessary for forming the Tofu, also behaves differently depending on its quality and how it is mixed. By insisting on using Japanese ingredients and constantly monitoring the state of the soy milk while mixing, delicious Tofu is created.

In Spain, many of those who have some degree of knowledge about Japan recognize TOFU by its name. Although the manufacturing methods and flavors differ, Tofu is sold even in local supermarkets. About 80% of the customers who visit Somenoya Barcelona are Spanish, and since they come seeking authentic Tofu and soy milk, many of them become repeat customers. In addition to sales at its own retail shop, Somenoya now works with more than 200 business partners, including restaurants and local supermarkets. A notable feature is the wide range of industries they supply, not only Japanese restaurants and Asian grocery stores, but also Spanish restaurants and local confectionery shops.

Many people in Spain view Tofu primarily as a vegan food. However, Mr. Kobayashi says they want to “break away from the idea of Tofu being limited to vegan cuisine.” While the company does develop “SoMeat,” they also aim to promote Tofu as “a delicious Japanese food not restricted to vegans.” They also sell bento lunch boxes and rice balls made with Ibaraki-grown rice, providing people in Barcelona with opportunities to experience the flavors of Japan more closely.

Somenoya Barcelona is notable for introducing Tofu and SoMeat not only to local consumers in Spain, but also across various regions throughout Europe. In March 2025, they held a Tofu menu development seminar as a joint event with the Spanish football club “Villarreal FC”. There was strong interest in using Tofu as a recovery food for athletes, and in collaboration with local Japanese chefs, they proposed not only Japanese dishes but also local-style recipes such as lasagna and hamburg steak. The company is also actively engaged in educational and outreach efforts, such as seminars with business partners in Italy and Tofu classes at culinary schools. By not only selling products but also offering ways to enjoy them and spreading Japanese food culture, they are expanding the value of Japanese cuisine.

Regarding the company’s future outlook, Mr. Kobayashi says, “First, we want to continue striving to become the company that everyone thinks of when they hear ‘Tofu maker in Europe’. And our goal is not only to promote Tofu and other soybean-based products, but also to continue expanding the reach of Japanese ingredients, bento lunch boxes, and prepared dishes, so that we can become known as ‘the shop that sells delicious things from Japan’”. The company is currently exporting Tofu from Spain to eight European countries, but they hope to further increase the number of export destinations in the future.

Under the philosophy that “there are no borders when it comes to delicious food,” Somenoya Barcelona continues its challenge to spread Japanese Tofu, and by extension, Japanese food culture, to people all around the world.