Taketsuru, Masataka (1894–1979), is, with Shinjiro Torii, viewed as one of the two founding fathers of Japanese whisky. See Suntory. Born into a sake-brewing family from Takehara, close to Hiroshima, he graduated in chemistry before starting to work for Osaka-based Settsu Shozu, one of a number of firms producing yoshu (foreign liquors).
The firm had plans to make whisky in Japan, so in 1918 Taketsuru traveled to Glasgow to study chemistry and gain practical experience in distilleries. In only two years he completed his studies and worked at Longmorn, Bo’ness grain distillery, and, most significantly, Hazelburn in Campbeltown, one of the few distilleries with a laboratory. He also found time to woo and marry his landlady’s daughter, Rita Cowan.
In 1920 the couple returned to Japan to discover that Settsu Shuzo was under administration, so plans for the whisky distillery had been put on hold. In 1922 Taketsuru resigned, but the following year was hired as distiller by Shinjiro Torii for his new distillery at Yamazaki. He remained with Torii until 1934 when, slighted by a demotion to the brewery, he resigned. He and Rita headed north to Hokkaido, the location he believed most closely resembled the conditions he had experienced in Scotland. His distillery in the fishing port of Yoichi started operations the same year.
Taketsuru and Rita lived in Hokkaido for the rest of their lives. His company, Nikka, would grow to become Japan’s second-largest whisky producer. See Nikka.
In 2014, the Japanese television station NHK began broadcasting an asadora (morning drama) called Massan based around Masataka and Rita’s love story.
See also whisky, Japanese.
Broom, Dave. The Way of Whisky: A Journey around Japanese Whisky. London: Mitchell Beazley, 2017.
By: Dave Broom