Takamine Jōkichi

Template:Short description Template:Family name hatnote Template:Infobox scientist Template:Nihongo was a Japanese chemist.<ref name=Yamashima/><ref name="sasges">Template:Cite journal</ref> He is known for being the first to isolate epinephrine in 1901.

Early life and education

Takamine was born in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, in November 1854.<ref name="shurtleff">Template:Cite book</ref> His father was a doctor; his mother a member of a family of sake brewers. He spent his childhood in Kanazawa, capital of present-day Ishikawa Prefecture in central Honshū. He learned English as a child from a Dutch family in Nagasaki, and so always spoke English with a Dutch accent. He was educated in Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo, graduating from the one of the predecessors of Tokyo Imperial University in 1879. He did postgraduate work at University of Glasgow and Anderson College in Scotland until 1883.<ref name=MDD/>

Career

Japan

In 1883, Takamine returned to Japan and joined the division of chemistry at the newly established Department of Agriculture and Commerce until 1887.<ref name=MDD/> He then founded the Tokyo Artificial Fertilizer Company, where he later isolated the enzyme takadiastase, an enzyme that catalyzes the breakdown of starch. Takamine developed his diastase from koji, a fungus used in the manufacture of soy sauce and miso. Its Latin name is Aspergillus oryzae, and it is a "designated national fungus" (kokkin) in Japan.<ref name="Pulvers">Pulvers, Roger, "Jokichi Takamine: a man with fire in his belly whatever the odds Template:Webarchive", Japan Times, June 28, 2009, p. 8.</ref>

United States

File:Takadiastase1905usa.jpg

Taka-diastase advertisement in 1905

In 1884, Takamine went as co-commissioner of the World Cotton Centennial Exposition to New Orleans, where he met Lafcadio Hearn and 18 year old Caroline Field Hitch, his future wife. In 1885, he became the temporary Chief of the Japanese Patent Office and helped to lay the foundations of patent administration. He founded he Tokyo Artificial Fertilizer Company, importing large amounts of phosphate from Charleston, South Carolina. In 1890, he emigrated with his wife and two sons to Chicago.<ref name="shurtleff"/>Template:Rp

He established his own research laboratory in New York City but licensed the exclusive production rights for takadiastase to one of the largest US pharmaceutical companies, Parke-Davis.<ref name="Odagiri-Goto">Template:Cite book</ref> This turned out to be a shrewd move as he became a millionaire in a relatively short time and by the early 20th century was estimated to be worth $30 million.<ref name="Pulvers" />Template:Dead link

In 1894, Takamine applied for, and was granted, a US patent titled "Process of Making Diastatic Enzyme" (Template:US Patent), the first patent on a microbial enzyme in the United States.<ref name="MDD"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1901, he isolated and purified the hormone adrenaline, which became the first effective bronchodilator for asthma from animal glands, becoming the first to accomplish this for a glandular hormone.<ref name="Yamashima">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

In 1904, the Emperor Meiji of Japan honored Takamine with an unusual gift. In the context of the St. Louis World Fair (Louisiana Purchase Exposition), the Japanese government had replicated a historical Japanese structure, the "Pine and Maple Palace" (Shofu-den), modelled after the Kyoto Imperial Coronation Palace of 1,300 years ago. This structure was given to Dr. Takamine in grateful recognition of his efforts to further friendly relations between Japan and the United States.<ref name="nyt47">Template:Cite news</ref> He had the structure transported in sections from Missouri to his summer home in upstate New York, seventy-five miles north of New York City. In 1909, the structure served as a guest house for Prince Kuni Kuniyoshi and Princess Kuni of Japan, who were visiting the area.<ref>"Kuni in Japanese House; Host of Prince, Dr. Takamine, Has Japanese Structures of St. Louis Fair," Template:Webarchive New York Times. September 20, 1909.</ref> Although the property was sold in 1922, the reconstructed structure remained in its serene setting. In 2008, it still continues to be one of the undervalued tourist attractions of New York's Sullivan County.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1905, Takamine founded the Nippon Club, which was for many years located at 161 West 93rd Street in Manhattan.<ref name="nyt2001">Template:Cite news</ref>

Takamine devoted his life to maintaining goodwill between the US and Japan.<ref name="katz">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1912, the mayor of Tokyo (Yukio Ozaki) and Jokichi Takamine gifted cherry blossom trees, which were planted in the West Potomac Park surrounding the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

A 1915 photo presents Jōkichi Takamine as the host for a banquet honoring the visiting Japanese diplomat Baron Eiichi Shibusawa. This illustration is linked to Jōkichi Takamine's involvement in the gifting of the cherry blossom trees to Washington, DC in 1912, which has evolved into the National Cherry Blossom Festival which is celebrated yearly.<ref name="katz2">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

File:Jokichi Takamine Mausoleum 12-2008.jpg

The mausoleum of Jokichi Takamine in Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, New York City

On August 10, 1887, Takamine travelled to the US and married Caroline Field Hitch in New Orleans. They had two sons Jokichi Takamine, born 1888 in Tokyo, Japan, and Ebenezer Takashi Takamine born in 1889. The family emigrated to the US arriving in Chicago in December 1890.<ref name="shurtleff"/>Template:Rp<ref name="MDD">Template:Cite journal</ref> Due to her influence he converted to Catholicism. According to historical records, he would maintain this faith throughout his life.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Awards and honors

• In 1899, Takamine was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Engineering by what is now the University of Tokyo.<ref name="Pulvers" />
• On April 18, 1985, the Japan Patent Office selected him as one of Ten Japanese Great Inventors.<ref name="jpo">Template:Cite web</ref>
• In 2024 he was posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for his research leading to use of adrenaline (epinephrine) in medicine.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In popular culture

As of 2011, two films about the life of Takamine have been made by Template:Interlanguage link multi. In the 2010 film Template:Interlanguage link multi Takamine was portrayed by Masaya Kato.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A sequel titled Takamine, also directed by Ichikawa and starring Hatsunori Hasegawa, was released in 2011.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

As of 2009, the Takamine home in Kanazawa could still be seen. It was relocated to near the grounds of Kanazawa Castle in 2001.<ref>旧高峰家 Template:Webarchive. "City Kanazawa Official Web Site." Accessed 15 July 2009. (Japanese)</ref>

See also

• National Cherry Blossom Festival

Further reading

• Final Report of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission: Japan's participation Template:Webarchive
• Template:Cite book

• Biographical snapshots: Jokichi Takamine, Journal of Chemical Education Template:Webarchive
• Hajime Hoshi. (1904). Handbook of Japan and Japanese Exhibits at World's Fair, St. Louis, 1904. St. Louis: Woodward and Tiernan Printing Co.. Template:OCLC
• Template:Cite web Template:Small — Dr. Jokichi Takamine: Japanese father of American Biotechnology.
• Template:Cite web Template:Small— Production of Microbial Enzymes and Their Applications.
• History of Industrial Property Right, Jokichi Takamine Taka-Disatase, Adrenaline Template:Webarchive, Japan patent Office.
• Radio program about the ‘father of American biotechnology’ who was never allowed to become an American citizen. [1] Template:Webarchive