1 cup Japanese shoyu (soy sauce)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup mirin
1/2 cup sake
Mix soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and sake together in a small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce to a simmer, and cook until thickened enough to coat a spoon, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool, and use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.