In order to maintain a stable supply and price, as well as to ensure safety, Japanese natto is supplied with soybeans produced in the vast farmlands of the U.S. A whopping 20% of total imports are used as raw materials for natto.
Managed by USEEC (U.S. Soybean Export Council), soybeans imported mainly from the northeastern United States are of high quality and have small grains, making them a very good raw material for natto.
Soybeans from the U.S. travel 10,000 km to transform into natto in Japan.