natto - getting the publicity it deserves, finally

When I first came to Japan, I tried natto 4 times (the first time, tricked into eating it by my manager, Rumi) , forcing myself to become partial to the stinky sock stench. Years later I love the stuff and cannot get enough of it! It has been said to be one of the healthiest foods in the world...explaining why I was so determined to get myself to like it!

Now I am a hard-core natto freak and these stupid people who always dissed natto are going in hoards to buy it to lose weight. (see article below) YO MANNNN, get off my turf and instead of buying natto, go find a treadmill at the gym! Ha ha, just joking but you know what I mean. Loyal natto lovers, unite!!! Ok, signing off before I go into more natto-related frenzy.

A television program claiming that natto, a strong-smelling food made from fermented soybeans, could help people lose weight has sparked a buying frenzy across the country, causing some manufacturers to run out of the product.

Manufacturers are trying to boost their supplies, but shortages reportedly remain widespread, and some manufacturers have even taken out newspaper ads apologizing for the shortages.
Sales of natto surged following a program aired on Fuji TV on Jan. 7. The program introduced a man and woman who had lost weight after eating natto for two weeks. The isoflavone contained in the beans was said to increase a specific type of hormone in the body, proving beneficial for people on diets.

After the broadcast, sales of natto rocketed, especially among young women. Takano Foods, a company based in Omitama, Ibaraki Prefecture, and Mizkan, located in Handa, Aichi Prefecture, subsequently took out newspaper ads apologizing for their lack of stock.