{"id":674,"date":"2026-09-21T15:07:53","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T15:07:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/?p=674"},"modified":"2026-09-22T02:12:54","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T02:12:54","slug":"japanese-natural-cheese-tasted-and-reviewed-hard-semi-hard-cheeses-one-of-four","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/21\/japanese-natural-cheese-tasted-and-reviewed-hard-semi-hard-cheeses-one-of-four\/","title":{"rendered":"\u30101\/4\u3011Japanese Natural Cheese, Tasted and Reviewed (Hard &amp; Semi-Hard Cheeses)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"vk_block-margin-0--margin-bottom\">As I mentioned in <a href=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/06\/japanese-cheese\/\" title=\"\">an earlier post<\/a>, baking hearty, rustic bread is one of my hobbies, and ever since my trip to France, I've been on a mission to find Japanese cheeses that pair well with it. My personal benchmarks are Comt\u00e9 and Edam \u2014 cheeses I fell in love with abroad \u2014 so keep that in mind as you read my impressions below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped vk_block-margin-sm--margin-bottom wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"578\" data-id=\"737\" src=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Homemade-bread2-1024x578.jpg\" alt=\"Homemade bread2\" class=\"wp-image-737\" srcset=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Homemade-bread2-1024x578.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Homemade-bread2-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Homemade-bread2-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Homemade-bread2-1536x866.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Homemade-bread2-2048x1155.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Homemade-bread2-320x180.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Homemade bread<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"578\" data-id=\"736\" src=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Homemade-bread1-1024x578.jpg\" alt=\"Homemade bread1\" class=\"wp-image-736\" srcset=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Homemade-bread1-1024x578.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Homemade-bread1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Homemade-bread1-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Homemade-bread1-1536x866.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Homemade-bread1-2048x1155.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Homemade-bread1-320x180.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Homemade bread<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This post rounds up my notes on every hard and semi-hard Japanese natural cheese I've tried so far. These are honest, personal tasting notes rather than professional reviews, but I hope they're useful if you're exploring Japanese cheese yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list vk_block-margin-md--margin-top vk_block-margin-md--margin-bottom\">\n<li class=\"vk_block-margin-0--margin-bottom\"><a href=\"#topic01\" title=\"\">PLATZ\uff08\u30d7\u30e9\u30c3\u30c4\uff09<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"vk_block-margin-0--margin-top vk_block-margin-0--margin-bottom\"><a href=\"#topic02\" title=\"\">Petegari\uff08\u30da\u30c6\u30ac\u30ea\uff09<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"vk_block-margin-0--margin-top vk_block-margin-0--margin-bottom\"><a href=\"#topic03\" title=\"\">Jersey Gouda Cheese\uff08\u30b8\u30e3\u30fc\u30b8\u30fc\u30b4\u30fc\u30c0\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba\uff09<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"vk_block-margin-0--margin-top vk_block-margin-0--margin-bottom\"><a href=\"#topic04\" title=\"\">Hajime no Cheese\uff08\u306f\u3058\u3081\u306e\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba\uff09<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"vk_block-margin-0--margin-top\"><a href=\"#topic05\" title=\"\">Fromage de Biei\uff08\u30d5\u30ed\u30de\u30fc\u30b8\u30e5\u30fb\u30c9\u30fb\u7f8e\u745b\uff09<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading vk_block-margin-0--margin-bottom\" id=\"topic01\">1. PLATZ\uff08\u30d7\u30e9\u30c3\u30c4\uff09<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"578\" data-id=\"677\" src=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1.PLATZ_front-1024x578.jpg\" alt=\"1.PLATZ front\" class=\"wp-image-677\" srcset=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1.PLATZ_front-1024x578.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1.PLATZ_front-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1.PLATZ_front-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1.PLATZ_front-1536x866.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1.PLATZ_front-2048x1155.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1.PLATZ_front-320x180.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"578\" data-id=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1.PLATZ_back-1024x578.jpg\" alt=\"1.PLATZ back\" class=\"wp-image-675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1.PLATZ_back-1024x578.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1.PLATZ_back-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1.PLATZ_back-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1.PLATZ_back-1536x866.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1.PLATZ_back-2048x1155.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1.PLATZ_back-320x180.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"578\" data-id=\"676\" src=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1.PLATZ_bread-1024x578.jpg\" alt=\"1.PLATZ bread\" class=\"wp-image-676\" srcset=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1.PLATZ_bread-1024x578.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1.PLATZ_bread-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1.PLATZ_bread-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1.PLATZ_bread-1536x866.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1.PLATZ_bread-2048x1155.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1.PLATZ_bread-320x180.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"vk_block-margin-0--margin-bottom\"><strong>Maker:<\/strong> Yonemura Farm | <strong>Purchased:<\/strong> June 26, 2026 | <strong>Price:<\/strong> \u00a51,247 | <a href=\"https:\/\/yonemura-farm.com\/cheese\/\">Website<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"vk_block-margin-xxs--margin-top vk_block-margin-lg--margin-bottom\">This one leans closer to hard than semi-hard. Aged 12 months, and you can really taste it \u2014 the umami comes through beautifully. I put it on bread with ham, and the cheese held its own without getting overpowered. The balance between saltiness and umami is spot on, and the salt isn't overwhelming at all. Once you cross the \u00a51,200 mark, the quality really shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading vk_block-margin-0--margin-bottom\" id=\"topic02\">2. Petegari\uff08\u30da\u30c6\u30ac\u30ea\uff09<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"578\" data-id=\"680\" src=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2.\u30da\u30c6\u30ac\u30ea_front-1024x578.jpg\" alt=\"2.\u30da\u30c6\u30ac\u30ea front\" class=\"wp-image-680\" srcset=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2.\u30da\u30c6\u30ac\u30ea_front-1024x578.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2.\u30da\u30c6\u30ac\u30ea_front-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2.\u30da\u30c6\u30ac\u30ea_front-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2.\u30da\u30c6\u30ac\u30ea_front-1536x866.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2.\u30da\u30c6\u30ac\u30ea_front-2048x1155.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2.\u30da\u30c6\u30ac\u30ea_front-320x180.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"578\" data-id=\"678\" src=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2.\u30da\u30c6\u30ac\u30ea_back-1024x578.jpg\" alt=\"2.\u30da\u30c6\u30ac\u30ea back\" class=\"wp-image-678\" srcset=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2.\u30da\u30c6\u30ac\u30ea_back-1024x578.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2.\u30da\u30c6\u30ac\u30ea_back-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2.\u30da\u30c6\u30ac\u30ea_back-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2.\u30da\u30c6\u30ac\u30ea_back-1536x866.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2.\u30da\u30c6\u30ac\u30ea_back-2048x1155.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2.\u30da\u30c6\u30ac\u30ea_back-320x180.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"578\" data-id=\"679\" src=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2.\u30da\u30c6\u30ac\u30ea_bread-1024x578.jpg\" alt=\"2.\u30da\u30c6\u30ac\u30ea bread\" class=\"wp-image-679\" srcset=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2.\u30da\u30c6\u30ac\u30ea_bread-1024x578.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2.\u30da\u30c6\u30ac\u30ea_bread-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2.\u30da\u30c6\u30ac\u30ea_bread-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2.\u30da\u30c6\u30ac\u30ea_bread-1536x866.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2.\u30da\u30c6\u30ac\u30ea_bread-2048x1155.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2.\u30da\u30c6\u30ac\u30ea_bread-320x180.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"vk_block-margin-0--margin-bottom\"><strong>Maker:<\/strong> Karin Farm | <strong>Purchased:<\/strong> June 26, 2026 | <strong>Price:<\/strong> \u00a5950 | <a href=\"https:\/\/karinfarm.official.ec\/\" title=\"\">Website<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"vk_block-margin-lg--margin-bottom vk_block-margin-xxs--margin-top\">I paired this with beetroot bread, and it worked really well together. The saltiness is mild, but there's genuine umami depth. It's a gentle, quiet cheese \u2014 not assertive at all, with a nice milky character. It's a bit understated on its own, so I'd say it's best paired with something rather than eaten solo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading vk_block-margin-0--margin-bottom\" id=\"topic03\">3. Jersey Gouda Cheese\uff08\u30b8\u30e3\u30fc\u30b8\u30fc\u30b4\u30fc\u30c0\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba\uff09<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-4 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"578\" data-id=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/3.\u30b8\u30e3\u30fc\u30b8\u30fc\u30b4\u30fc\u30c0\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_front-1024x578.jpg\" alt=\"3.\u30b8\u30e3\u30fc\u30b8\u30fc\u30b4\u30fc\u30c0\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba front\" class=\"wp-image-683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/3.\u30b8\u30e3\u30fc\u30b8\u30fc\u30b4\u30fc\u30c0\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_front-1024x578.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/3.\u30b8\u30e3\u30fc\u30b8\u30fc\u30b4\u30fc\u30c0\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_front-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/3.\u30b8\u30e3\u30fc\u30b8\u30fc\u30b4\u30fc\u30c0\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_front-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/3.\u30b8\u30e3\u30fc\u30b8\u30fc\u30b4\u30fc\u30c0\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_front-1536x866.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/3.\u30b8\u30e3\u30fc\u30b8\u30fc\u30b4\u30fc\u30c0\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_front-2048x1155.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/3.\u30b8\u30e3\u30fc\u30b8\u30fc\u30b4\u30fc\u30c0\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_front-320x180.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"578\" data-id=\"681\" src=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/3.\u30b8\u30e3\u30fc\u30b8\u30fc\u30b4\u30fc\u30c0\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_back-1024x578.jpg\" alt=\"3.\u30b8\u30e3\u30fc\u30b8\u30fc\u30b4\u30fc\u30c0\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba back\" class=\"wp-image-681\" srcset=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/3.\u30b8\u30e3\u30fc\u30b8\u30fc\u30b4\u30fc\u30c0\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_back-1024x578.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/3.\u30b8\u30e3\u30fc\u30b8\u30fc\u30b4\u30fc\u30c0\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_back-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/3.\u30b8\u30e3\u30fc\u30b8\u30fc\u30b4\u30fc\u30c0\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_back-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/3.\u30b8\u30e3\u30fc\u30b8\u30fc\u30b4\u30fc\u30c0\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_back-1536x866.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/3.\u30b8\u30e3\u30fc\u30b8\u30fc\u30b4\u30fc\u30c0\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_back-2048x1155.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/3.\u30b8\u30e3\u30fc\u30b8\u30fc\u30b4\u30fc\u30c0\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_back-320x180.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"578\" data-id=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/3.\u30b8\u30e3\u30fc\u30b8\u30fc\u30b4\u30fc\u30c0\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_bread-1024x578.jpg\" alt=\"3.\u30b8\u30e3\u30fc\u30b8\u30fc\u30b4\u30fc\u30c0\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba bread\" class=\"wp-image-682\" srcset=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/3.\u30b8\u30e3\u30fc\u30b8\u30fc\u30b4\u30fc\u30c0\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_bread-1024x578.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/3.\u30b8\u30e3\u30fc\u30b8\u30fc\u30b4\u30fc\u30c0\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_bread-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/3.\u30b8\u30e3\u30fc\u30b8\u30fc\u30b4\u30fc\u30c0\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_bread-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/3.\u30b8\u30e3\u30fc\u30b8\u30fc\u30b4\u30fc\u30c0\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_bread-1536x866.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/3.\u30b8\u30e3\u30fc\u30b8\u30fc\u30b4\u30fc\u30c0\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_bread-2048x1155.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/3.\u30b8\u30e3\u30fc\u30b8\u30fc\u30b4\u30fc\u30c0\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_bread-320x180.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"vk_block-margin-0--margin-bottom\"><strong>Maker:<\/strong> Tokachi Kato Farm | <strong>Purchased:<\/strong> May 23, 2026 | <strong>Price:<\/strong> \u00a5864 | <a href=\"https:\/\/tokachimilk.com\/\">Website<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"vk_block-margin-xxs--margin-top vk_block-margin-lg--margin-bottom\">There's umami here, but it needs more salt. It reminds me of a refined processed cheese. Delicious with ham, but a bit lacking on its own \u2014 better paired with something. The umami is fairly strong, though it can't compete with a good yeasted, hard-crust bread. Put it on plain sandwich bread with ham, and it's a perfectly ordinary sandwich. Eaten on its own, though, it's actually quite good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading vk_block-margin-0--margin-top vk_block-margin-0--margin-bottom\" id=\"topic04\">4. Hajime no Cheese\uff08\u306f\u3058\u3081\u306e\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba\uff09<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"578\" data-id=\"686\" src=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff14\uff0e\u306f\u3058\u3081\u306e\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_front-1024x578.jpg\" alt=\"\uff14\uff0e\u306f\u3058\u3081\u306e\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba front\" class=\"wp-image-686\" srcset=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff14\uff0e\u306f\u3058\u3081\u306e\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_front-1024x578.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff14\uff0e\u306f\u3058\u3081\u306e\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_front-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff14\uff0e\u306f\u3058\u3081\u306e\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_front-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff14\uff0e\u306f\u3058\u3081\u306e\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_front-1536x866.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff14\uff0e\u306f\u3058\u3081\u306e\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_front-2048x1155.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff14\uff0e\u306f\u3058\u3081\u306e\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_front-320x180.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"578\" data-id=\"684\" src=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff14\uff0e\u306f\u3058\u3081\u306e\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_back-1024x578.jpg\" alt=\"\uff14\uff0e\u306f\u3058\u3081\u306e\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba back\" class=\"wp-image-684\" srcset=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff14\uff0e\u306f\u3058\u3081\u306e\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_back-1024x578.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff14\uff0e\u306f\u3058\u3081\u306e\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_back-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff14\uff0e\u306f\u3058\u3081\u306e\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_back-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff14\uff0e\u306f\u3058\u3081\u306e\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_back-1536x866.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff14\uff0e\u306f\u3058\u3081\u306e\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_back-2048x1155.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff14\uff0e\u306f\u3058\u3081\u306e\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_back-320x180.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"578\" data-id=\"685\" src=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff14\uff0e\u306f\u3058\u3081\u306e\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_bread-1024x578.jpg\" alt=\"\uff14\uff0e\u306f\u3058\u3081\u306e\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba bread\" class=\"wp-image-685\" srcset=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff14\uff0e\u306f\u3058\u3081\u306e\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_bread-1024x578.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff14\uff0e\u306f\u3058\u3081\u306e\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_bread-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff14\uff0e\u306f\u3058\u3081\u306e\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_bread-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff14\uff0e\u306f\u3058\u3081\u306e\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_bread-1536x866.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff14\uff0e\u306f\u3058\u3081\u306e\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_bread-2048x1155.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff14\uff0e\u306f\u3058\u3081\u306e\u30c1\u30fc\u30ba_bread-320x180.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"vk_block-margin-0--margin-bottom\"><strong>Maker:<\/strong> ASUKA Cheese Workshop | <strong>Purchased:<\/strong> May 23, 2026 | <strong>Price:<\/strong> \u00a5810 | <a href=\"https:\/\/asuka-cheese.com\/321006.html\">Website<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"vk_block-margin-xxs--margin-top vk_block-margin-lg--margin-bottom\">Nicely salted, but not in a \"too salty\" way. Goes really well with bread \u2014 reminds me a bit of a Comt\u00e9-style cheese. The texture when you cut it feels more like processed cheese than true semi-hard. Delicious, and reasonably priced too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading vk_block-margin-0--margin-top vk_block-margin-0--margin-bottom\" id=\"topic05\">5. Fromage de Biei\uff08\u30d5\u30ed\u30de\u30fc\u30b8\u30e5\u30fb\u30c9\u30fb\u7f8e\u745b\uff09<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-id=\"689\" src=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff15\uff0e\u30d5\u30ed\u30de\u30fc\u30b8\u30e5\u30c9\u7f8e\u745b_pop-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\uff15\uff0e\u30d5\u30ed\u30de\u30fc\u30b8\u30e5\u30c9\u7f8e\u745b pop\" class=\"wp-image-689\" srcset=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff15\uff0e\u30d5\u30ed\u30de\u30fc\u30b8\u30e5\u30c9\u7f8e\u745b_pop-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff15\uff0e\u30d5\u30ed\u30de\u30fc\u30b8\u30e5\u30c9\u7f8e\u745b_pop-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff15\uff0e\u30d5\u30ed\u30de\u30fc\u30b8\u30e5\u30c9\u7f8e\u745b_pop-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff15\uff0e\u30d5\u30ed\u30de\u30fc\u30b8\u30e5\u30c9\u7f8e\u745b_pop-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff15\uff0e\u30d5\u30ed\u30de\u30fc\u30b8\u30e5\u30c9\u7f8e\u745b_pop-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff15\uff0e\u30d5\u30ed\u30de\u30fc\u30b8\u30e5\u30c9\u7f8e\u745b_pop-320x180.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">pop<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-id=\"687\" src=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff15\uff0e\u30d5\u30ed\u30de\u30fc\u30b8\u30e5\u30c9\u7f8e\u745b_back-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\uff15\uff0e\u30d5\u30ed\u30de\u30fc\u30b8\u30e5\u30c9\u7f8e\u745b back\" class=\"wp-image-687\" srcset=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff15\uff0e\u30d5\u30ed\u30de\u30fc\u30b8\u30e5\u30c9\u7f8e\u745b_back-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff15\uff0e\u30d5\u30ed\u30de\u30fc\u30b8\u30e5\u30c9\u7f8e\u745b_back-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff15\uff0e\u30d5\u30ed\u30de\u30fc\u30b8\u30e5\u30c9\u7f8e\u745b_back-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff15\uff0e\u30d5\u30ed\u30de\u30fc\u30b8\u30e5\u30c9\u7f8e\u745b_back-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff15\uff0e\u30d5\u30ed\u30de\u30fc\u30b8\u30e5\u30c9\u7f8e\u745b_back-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff15\uff0e\u30d5\u30ed\u30de\u30fc\u30b8\u30e5\u30c9\u7f8e\u745b_back-320x180.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-id=\"688\" src=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff15\uff0e\u30d5\u30ed\u30de\u30fc\u30b8\u30e5\u30c9\u7f8e\u745b_bread-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\uff15\uff0e\u30d5\u30ed\u30de\u30fc\u30b8\u30e5\u30c9\u7f8e\u745b bread\" class=\"wp-image-688\" srcset=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff15\uff0e\u30d5\u30ed\u30de\u30fc\u30b8\u30e5\u30c9\u7f8e\u745b_bread-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff15\uff0e\u30d5\u30ed\u30de\u30fc\u30b8\u30e5\u30c9\u7f8e\u745b_bread-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff15\uff0e\u30d5\u30ed\u30de\u30fc\u30b8\u30e5\u30c9\u7f8e\u745b_bread-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff15\uff0e\u30d5\u30ed\u30de\u30fc\u30b8\u30e5\u30c9\u7f8e\u745b_bread-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff15\uff0e\u30d5\u30ed\u30de\u30fc\u30b8\u30e5\u30c9\u7f8e\u745b_bread-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/\uff15\uff0e\u30d5\u30ed\u30de\u30fc\u30b8\u30e5\u30c9\u7f8e\u745b_bread-320x180.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"vk_block-margin-0--margin-bottom\"><strong>Maker:<\/strong> Biei Farm Co., Ltd. (Biei Grazing Dairy Farm) | <strong>Purchased:<\/strong> November 6, 2025 | <strong>Price:<\/strong> \u00a51,674 | <a href=\"https:\/\/biei-farm.co.jp\/products\/index.html\">Website<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"vk_block-margin-xxs--margin-top vk_block-margin-lg--margin-bottom\">I told the shop staff I love Comt\u00e9, and this is what they recommended. It really does taste remarkably close to the real thing. Genuinely delicious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This channel is run by a Japanese woman living in Japan, sharing a look at everyday Japanese food and culture. I hope it gives you some fun souvenir ideas and a few useful tips for everyday life along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As I mentioned in an earlier post, baking hearty, rustic bread is one of my hobbies, and ever since my trip to France, I've been on a mission to find Japanese cheeses that pair well with it. My personal benchmarks are Comt\u00e9 and Edam \u2014 cheeses I fell in love with abroad \u2014 so keep [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":725,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"\u30101\/4\u3011Japanese Natural Cheese, Tasted and Reviewed (Hard &amp; Semi-Hard Cheeses) - A Japanese Life","description":"I tasted and reviewed 20 Japanese hard and semi-hard natural cheeses, comparing them to my favorites, Comt\u00e9 and Edam. Real notes from a home bread baker in Japan."},"sns_share_botton_hide":"","vkExUnit_sns_title":"","_vk_print_noindex":"","sitemap_hide":"","_veu_custom_css":"","veu_display_promotion_alert":"","vkexunit_cta_each_option":"","_lightning_design_setting":[],"_slim_seo_primary_term_category":8,"_slim_seo_primary_term_post_tag":38,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[38,39,37],"class_list":["post-674","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food","tag-cheese","tag-japanese-cheese","tag-natural-cheese"],"veu_head_title_object":{"title":"","add_site_title":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/674","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=674"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/674\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":738,"href":"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/674\/revisions\/738"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/725"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=674"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=674"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=674"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}