Meanings
- A single-use plastic soy sauce recipient in the format of a fish.
Launched in the 1950s, the single-use soy packets shaped like a fish – and called “shoyu-tai” in Japanese – were invented to replace glass or ceramic soy bottles. They also became popular with takeaway sushi vendors because of their convenience and cuteness.
2021 March 12, Kaycee Enerva, “These cute fish lamps are raising awareness of single-use soy packets”, in Viable Earth, United States, archived from the original on 03 Sep 20252 more examples
South Australia is set to become the first place on Earth to ban the iconic plastic soy sauce fish, known in Japan as shoyu-tai or the “soy-sauce snapper.” Invented in 1954 by Teruo Watanabe, these adorable polyethylene soy sauce dispensers were initially dubbed the “Lunch Charm.”
2025 September 3, Luis Prada, “Why Those Adorable Fish-Shaped Soy Sauce Packets Are Now Banned in Australia”, in Vice, United States, archived from the original on 03 Sep 2025If you’ve ever indulged in takeaway or delivery sushi, you may be familiar with shoyu-tai, a tiny, fish-shaped plastic container created in Japan and now widely popular. These single-use bottles that often only contain a few drops of soy sauce have a less-cute destiny, contributing to the plastic waste problem in our global oceans. Australians Angus Ware and Jeffrey Simpson of Sydney-based Heliograf were inspired both by the iconic, cute fish, and the desire to lessen their environmental impact. The duo designed a portable lamp made from 75% recycled ocean-bound plastic, and funds 2 kilograms of plastic cleanup for every lamp sold.
2024 August 13, Laura Botham, “5 products with wondrously unexpected designs”, in IIDA, United States, archived from the original on 03 Sep 2025
Origin
- Japanese醤油鯛“soy sauce bream”
- Englishshoyu-tai
Borrowed from Japanese 醤油鯛 (shoyu-tai, “soy sauce bream”).
More words from Japanese
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
shoyu-tai. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shoyu-tai
“shoyu-tai.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shoyu-tai. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shoyu-tai,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shoyu-tai.
Source: shoyu-tai on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.