Because shoyu has high permeability, even an undetectable small crack in the packing
with cause shoyu to leak. In the case of shoyu barrels, to prevent leakage, methods
were developed to use only 100-to 300-year-old Akita cedar with tightly spaced annual
rings, showing limited summer growth. Timber dried for about 3 months is used.
Enormous labor and time is required for fabricating barrels, but in the golden age of
barrel production, by division of labor, the craftsmen of Noda are said to have
produced a daily average of sixteen barrels per craftsman.
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