Our story started in the city of Toride, Japan, in 1862 - at the end of Edo period, a time of economic growth, stability, sustainability and admiration for art. Someno family was running a distinguished inn (Honjin) situated near the crossings of merchants roads. After a marriage of Someno’s daughter, Sen, with a tofu master Hanjiro I, the inn started being recognized for the delicious Tofu it served its guests. More and more people, who could not stay at the inn, wanted to try the Tofu, so did our traveling sales begin…

When a new era, Meiji, started, people got interested in new things and Sen and Hanjiro I found themselves in a difficult situation of having no male heir to inherit the business. Luckily they were able to pass it to their daughter’s, Yasu, new husband, Hirokichi, who against the tradition took the name of the bride and became Hanjiro II.

In Meiji period due to social changes in Japan, products earlier reserved only for the privileged ones started being more accessible for all, this included Tofu and therefore Hanjiro II decided to open a second shop with the help of his nephew, Iwazo; and hence establishing the second branch of Tofu business. Since then two separate branches were in operation - Someno’s Tofu and Hanjiro Tofu. Later on, Someno’s branch was inherited by Hanjiro’s II youngest son, Shinnosuke, while the latter by the eldest son, Eitaro.

At the beginning of the 21st century the inheritance once again became uncertain. Atsuto Ono a husband of a granddaughter of Shinnosuke Someno, Masumi, had to face a difficult decision whether to carry his wife’s legacy or decline it. His vision for the company and a hard work made it possible to re-establish Someno’s Tofu and expand the sales to other prefectures. He also agreed to inherit the Hanjiro branch and the title of Hanjiro VIII, merging two branches under the name of Somenoya Hanjiro.