Lifting the lid off a large ceramic pot with a flourish to reveal his aged shoyu, chef Nobuaki Fushiki tells me that with soy sauce, ¡°taste is born with time.¡±

As the distinctive aroma of umami wafts into the air at Zenbo Seinei ¡ª a Zen wellness retreat designed by Shigeru Ban and located in the north of Awaji Island, Hyogo Prefecture ¡ª I¡¯m instructed to place a dash of the rich brown liquid on a small plate.

Most of the 20 members of my group, who hail from North America, Europe and Oceania, are joining a soy sauce tasting for the first time, inspired by their introduction to Japanese cuisine onboard the Silver Nova, one of the newest ships from luxury cruise line Silversea Cruises.