National mold of Japan (Kokkin)
National mold of Japan
Japanese: 国菌（こっきん）
A title conferred by the Brewing Society of Japan in 2006, designating Aspergillus oryzae (koji mold) as Japan's national mold. A national symbol alongside the cherry blossom (national flower) and pheasant (national bird).
In 2006, the Brewing Society of Japan designated Aspergillus oryzae (koji mold) as Japan's national mold. Just as the cherry blossom is the national flower and the pheasant the national bird, koji mold was chosen to represent Japan.
Miso, soy sauce, sake, shochu, awamori, mirin, vinegar—koji mold is involved in virtually all Japanese fermented foods. When washoku was inscribed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, the greatest contributor behind the scenes may have been this small mold.
The designation of a national mold is not a taxonomic classification but a cultural declaration. For a microorganism to be recognized as part of a nation's identity speaks to how fundamental fermentation is to Japanese culture.
An invisible mold representing a nation—this fact itself may symbolize the quiet power that fermentation holds.