Ceramic grinding wheels produced by Noritake Co. in Nagoya, usually used to cut or grind metal and glass, are gaining unexpected attention thanks to the increasing popularity of Japanese food in other countries.
Demand for grinding wheels is expected to expand at home and abroad as more companies use them to grind soybeans to make tofu.
Nagasawa Kikai Seisakusho Co., based in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture, is a major maker of soybean grinding machines used to produce namago, a fluid substance made of crushed soybeans and water.