Startup CPG Newswire:
DOJO Introduces Traditionally Brewed Soy Sauce to a New Generation
PRESS RELEASE — NEWS PROVIDED BY Chaz Zayed for DOJO
AUSTIN, TX (2OCTOBER 026) — DOJO, an Austin-born Japanese soy sauce brand, is bringing traditionally brewed Japanese soy sauce to a new generation. Made in the remote mountains of Japan by a women-led family brewery founded in 1902, DOJO is brewed and matured for nearly 24 months in traditional cedar barrels using four ingredients: organic soybeans, organic wheat, sea salt and mountain spring water.
The brand pairs generations-old Japanese fermentation techniques with a modern chef-style precision squeeze bottle designed for cooking, seasoning and finishing dishes.
Founder Chaz Zayed had used soy sauce his entire life. Growing up in Chicago, he put it on almost everything without thinking much about where it came from or how it was made. In 2025, that changed as he began learning about traditionally made Japanese soy sauce and the history, process and people behind it.
“I thought I loved soy sauce before, but learning how much time, care and family history can go into one bottle gave me a completely different appreciation for it,” said Zayed. “That’s when it stopped being just something I loved to eat and became something I wanted to dedicate myself to.”
For Zayed, building a brand around a product with generations of Japanese history meant going to the source rather than simply borrowing from the culture. He traveled alone to Japan to learn the brewing process firsthand and understand the people and traditions behind the product.
In the mountains, he found the family brewery that would become DOJO’s brewing partner. He learned how koji is prepared, how moromi ferments, how cedar barrels shape the final flavor and why time is central to the process. What began as a sourcing trip became a close relationship with the family.
“I went to Japan alone looking for great soy sauce and somehow came home with another family,” said Zayed. “They welcomed me into their brewery, fed me, taught me their craft and embraced how seriously I cared about what they had spent generations building. They are so excited to see their soy sauce find a new home in America. I want to make them proud.”
DOJO develops deep umami, subtle sweetness and savory complexity through its long fermentation and cedar-barrel aging. Its precision squeeze bottle brings that traditional product into an everyday format without changing the craft behind it.
“My life’s mission is soy sauce,” said Zayed. “I want to honor the family that trusted me with their craft and help give soy sauce the appreciation it deserves.”
DOJO is available at www.dojo.world and select independent retailers nationwide.
About DOJO
DOJO is an Austin-born organic Japanese soy sauce brand founded by Chaz Zayed. Brewed in Japan by a women-led family brewery founded in 1902, DOJO is made with four organic ingredients and matured for nearly 24 months in traditional cedar barrels. Packaged in a chef-style precision squeeze bottle, DOJO honors the people, culture and generations of care behind traditionally made Japanese soy sauce while bringing a premium, umami-rich product to a new generation.
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