koji

American  

[koh-jee] / ˈkoʊ dʒi /

noun

1. a fungus, Aspergillus oryzae, used to initiate fermentation of a mixture of soybeans and wheat in the production of soy sauce.

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Etymology

Origin of koji

< Japanese kōji malt, yeast < kaudi < kaũdi < kamudati, probably equivalent to *kamu (< *kanpu mold; compare kabu, a variant outcome of the same etymon) + -dati, combining form of tati to rise

Example Sentences

One former pupil is Koji Yakusho, who won best actor at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023 for his role in Wim Wenders' "Perfect Days".

From Barron's

The son of a German immigrant, Wareheim set out to understand the web of cultural influences that contribute to the modern American steakhouse: There are spotlights on David Chang’s interpretation at L.A.’s Majordomo, where flatbread — or bing — replace traditional dinner rolls and the prime rib features a shio koji rub.

From Los Angeles Times

“I do think there’s some risk, but it’s not like we’re facing shortages tomorrow,” CEO Koji Sato told reporters at the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo on Wednesday, according to Reuters.

From MarketWatch

This time, Stephen Lyman, a Japanese spirits expert and importer, steered me away from Kokusai-dori, the tourist strip, and sent me in search of a young Okinawan bartender named Koji Higa.

From The Wall Street Journal

At this point in the game’s development, Wise was not officially the composer; he figured that Koji Kondo, Nintendo’s go-to composer who worked on Super Mario and Legend of Zelda games, would take over.

From New York Times