The Mifune Toshiro of Microbes

Aspergillus Oryzae: the Mifune Toshiro of microbes. The quintessential Japanese mould.

This prince amongst microbes is also the star of Ishikawa Masayuki’s (石川雅之) manga and anime Moyashimon: Tales of Agriculture (making my Toshiro Mifune analogy a little less tenuous).

A. Oryzae is used to produce soya sauce, miso, mirin, shōchū, awamori and sake [glossary]. Such is its importance, it is often called the national microbe (国菌, kokkin). Without this little beauty, Japanese cuisine as we know it would cease to exist.

Japanese culture in general would probably be radically different as well. Food is instrumental in shaping people. General traits that come to mind when thinking of the Japanese – attention to detail, patience, perseverance, cleanliness – are all required during the fermentation process.

Of course food is only one of the many factors involved in forming a national identity. Though I find national identities are not particularly useful when you’re actually out there meeting people. The words of Cher Horowitz on Monet spring to mind: from far away, it’s OK, but up close, it’s a big old mess.

I have my friend Miss Élysées to thank for introducing me to Moyashimon (もやしもん). It is a charming, eccentric series, with a refreshing blend of comedy and science.

Her husband runs an organic farm, so she may have had some personal interest in the story. She’s also up with the zeitgeist and tells me about the latest trends in Tokyo.

Both the opening (Ifu Sarasa) and closing (Polysics) themes are maddeningly catchy, full of sweet J-pop goodness. Polysics are especially worth checking out. They’re a bit of a Japanese Go Team. Not that the Go Team don’t already have a Japanese flavour.

So next time you’re eating Japanese food, remember the plucky, talented microbe that made it all possible.

. . .

For those about to brew, we salute you.