A look inside the Otafuku Sauce factory, where the original sauce from Mitchan Sohonten is made

■ Otafuku Sauce, manufacturer of Okonomiyaki Sauce

*This article is an excerpt from the YouTube channel of "Hiroshima Okonomiyaki Mitchan Sohonten [Official]".

Otafuku Sauce Co., Ltd. is a company that boasts the No. 1 domestic market share for Okonomiyaki Sauce. Mitchan Sohonten's Okonomiyaki Sauce is made from scratch at the Otafuku Sauce headquarters factory in the Commerce and Industry Center, Nishi Ward, Hiroshima City. It's amazing to have an original sauce manufactured by a company with the largest domestic market share.

■Before entering the factory...

Before entering the factory, there are strict rules for hygiene management, such as wearing white coats and washing your hands. Now, let's take a look inside the factory!

■ [Step 1] Mixing

Let's start with the first step, "blending." In addition to vegetables such as tomatoes, fruits such as apples, and seasonings such as vinegar and soy sauce, about 20 kinds of spices are used.

After mixing, the mixture is sent to a separate tank through pipes that run throughout the factory.

■ [Step 2] Heat sterilization

The second process is "heat sterilization." The mixed sauce is heated in a tank and sterilized while being stirred. After the heat treatment in the tank, it goes directly to the next process.

■ [Step 3] Sampling inspection

Next comes the third process, "sampling inspection." In this process, the sauce is checked with measuring equipment and by inspectors' tongues to see if there are any problems with its taste or quality.

■ [Step 4] Filling

Next, let's look at the fourth process, "filling."

Before filling, the opening of the Okonomiyaki Sauce container is sealed to keep the inside of the container clean.

First, the containers are aligned using a machine. Then the top of the sealed container is cut off.

Then fill the sauce from the cut pieces.

After filling the container with sauce, the aluminum lid is heat-pressed onto it.

Put the cap back on the covered bottle. Now we can finally see the familiar Okonomiyaki Sauce in its entirety.

■ [Step 5] Packaging

After filling, the fifth step is packaging. The original Mitchan Souhonten label is attached to the finished Okonomiyaki Sauce bottle.

Once wrapped in film, the original Mitchan Souhonten Okonomiyaki Sauce is complete! The finished Okonomiyaki Sauce is then packed in a cardboard box.

■【Step 6】Shipping

The final process is "shipping." The packed cardboard boxes are moved around the factory by special machines and then taken out of the factory. They are then delivered all over the country.

■Enjoy Mitchan Sohonten's original sauce at home!

We introduced the process for making Mitchan Souhonten's original okonomiyaki sauce. This time we introduced 300g of sauce, but they produce various sizes of sauce depending on the purpose, such as 15g, 60g, and 2kg. In addition to being sold in souvenir corners at stores and service areas, single-use types are also included with frozen okonomiyaki, so you can enjoy the taste of Mitchan Souhonten anywhere in the country!

Please try the okonomiyaki and our signature sauce at home.

▶YouTube video "Otafuku Sauce Factory Tour: Inside the building not open to the public!"

▶Click here for the YouTube channel of "Hiroshima Okonomiyaki Mitchan Sohonten [Official]"