The Japanese word for sugar is satō and brown sugar is kurozatō. Find the kana writings and pronunciations for these and other related words below.
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| Romanji | Kanji | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sugar さとう | Satō | 砂糖 | |
| White sugar しろざとう | Shirozatō | 白砂糖 | |
| Brown sugar くろざと | Kurozatō | 黒砂糖 | |
| Powdered sugar こなざとう | Konazatō | 粉砂糖 | |
| Sugar pot さとうい | Satōire | 砂糖入れ | |
| Sugar cane さとうきび | Satōkibi | 砂糖黍 |
Interesting facts about sugar in Japan
The first sugar to ever arrive in Japan was Chinese cane sugar during the Nara period (710–794). At first it was used for medicinal purposes and eventually as an ingredient in confectioneries during the Muromachi period (1336–1573). However, sugar was still rare in Japan up until the first Portuguese and Dutch traders arrived in the 16th Century.
Today, Japan produces 25% of its own sugar while the rest is imported. The two types produced is beet sugar from the Hokkaido prefecture and cane sugar from Okinawa. Interestingly, the sugar produced in Japan differs slightly from regular international sugar. Read more about it here.