Takamine Jōkichi Explained

Takamine Jōkichi
Native Name Lang:	ja
Birth Date:	3 November 1854
Birth Place:	Takaoka, Toyama, Japan
Death Place:	New York, New York, US^[1]
Citizenship:	Japanese
Known For:	isolating and purifying adrenaline, isolating takadiastase

was a Japanese chemist.^[2] 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.^[3] 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 Tokyo Imperial University in 1879. He did postgraduate work at University of Glasgow and Anderson College in Scotland until 1883.

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. 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.^[4]

United States

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 phosphatefrom Charleston, South Carolina. In 1890, he emigrated with his wife and two sons to Chicago.^[3]

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.^[5] 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.

In 1894, Takamine applied for, and was granted, a US patent titled "Process of Making Diastatic Enzyme", the first patent on a microbial enzyme in the United States.^[6]

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.^{[7] [8]}

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.^[9] 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.^[10] 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.^[11]

In 1905, Takamine founded the Nippon Club, which was for many years located at 161 West 93rd Street in Manhattan.^[12]

Takamine devoted his life to maintaining goodwill between the US and Japan.^{[13] [14]}

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 .^[15]

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.^{[16] [17]}

Personal life

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.^{[3] [18]} Due to her influence he converted to Catholicism. According to historical records, he would maintain this faith throughout his life.^[19]

Awards and honors

• In 1899, Takamine was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Engineering by what is now the University of Tokyo.
• On April 18, 1985, the Japan Patent Office selected him as one of Ten Japanese Great Inventors.^[20]

In popular culture

As of 2011, two films about the life of Takamine have been made by . In the 2010 film Takamine was portrayed by Masaya Kato.^[21] A sequel titled Takamine, also directed by Ichikawa and starring Hatsunori Hasegawa, was released in 2011.^[22]

As of 2009, the Takamine home in Kanazawa could still be seen. It was relocated to near the grounds of Kanazawa Castle in 2001.^[23]

See also

• National Cherry Blossom Festival

Further reading

• Final Report of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission: Japan's participation
• Book: Shurtleff . William . Jokichi Takamine (1854-1922) and Caroline Hitch Takamine (1866-1954) . Aoyagi . Akiko . 2012 . Soyinfo Center . 978-1-928914-46-4 . en . 2022-07-29 . 2023-05-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230528111229/https://books.google.com/books?id=fY2H_PRnMvAC&dq=%22Ultimately%2C%20the%20whisky%20trust%20collapsed%20because%20of%20trust-busting%20legislation%20enacted%20by%20the%20Illinois%20General%20Assembly%20in%201891%20and%20the%20depression%20of%201893.&pg=PA179 . live .
• Biographical snapshots: Jokichi Takamine, Journal of Chemical Education
• Hajime Hoshi. (1904). Handbook of Japan and Japanese Exhibits at World's Fair, St. Louis, 1904. St. Louis: Woodward and Tiernan Printing Co..
• Web site: Deerland Enzymes . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060615080954/http://deerland-enzymes.com/files/Dr_Jokichi%20Takamine_Bio.pdf . 2006-06-15.   — Dr. Jokichi Takamine: Japanese father of American Biotechnology.
• Web site: Microbiological Process Report, L.A. Underkofler. et al., Takamine Laboratory . 2007-08-12 . 2007-09-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070928042501/http://www.envismadrasuniv.org/pdf/Microbial%20Enzymes.pdf . live .  — Production of Microbial Enzymes and Their Applications.
• History of Industrial Property Right, Jokichi Takamine Taka-Disatase, Adrenaline, Japan patent Office.
• Radio program about the ‘father of American biotechnology’ who was never allowed to become an American citizen. https://radio.abc.net.au/programitem/pgXK6D1DRV?play=true

Notes and References

1. Harden, A.. Arthur Harden. Obituary Notice. Jokichi Takamine. Journal of the Chemical Society, Transactions. 1923. 123, part 1 of volume. 954–955.
2. Sasges . Gerard . 2021-03-01 . Mold's Dominion: Science, Empire, and Capitalism in a Globalizing World . The American Historical Review . 126 . 1 . 82–108 . 10.1093/ahr/rhab008 . 0002-8762 . free.
3. Book: Shurtleff, W.; Aoyagi, A. . Jokichi Takamine (1854-1922) and Caroline Takamine (1866-1954): Biography and Bibliography. . Soyinfo Center . 2012 . 978-1-928914-46-4 . Lafayette, California . 2023-07-06 . 2023-05-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230522002842/https://www.soyinfocenter.com/pdf/155/Taka.pdf . live .
4. Pulvers, Roger, "Jokichi Takamine: a man with fire in his belly whatever the odds ", Japan Times, June 28, 2009, p. 8.
5. Book: Odagiri, Hiroyuki . Technology and Industrial Development in Japan . Clarendon Press, Oxford . 1996 . 978-0-19-828802-2 . 214.
6. Web site: Takamine . Jokiohi . 1894 . Process of making diastatic enzyme . 24 January 2016 . Google Patents . 3 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303122819/http://www.google.com/patents/US525823 . live .
7. Yamashima T . 2003 . Jokichi Takamine (1854-1922), the samurai chemist, and his work on adrenalin . J Med Biogr . 11 . 2 . 95–102 . 10.1177/096777200301100211 . 12717538 . 32540165.
8. Bennett M . 1999 . One hundred years of adrenaline: the discovery of autoreceptors . Clin Auton Res . 9 . 3 . 145–59 . 10.1007/BF02281628 . 10454061 . 20999106.
9. News: Estrow . Milton . Japanese Palace; Replica Near Monticello Now Open to Public . New York Times . September 28, 1947 . July 23, 2018 . July 23, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180723065553/https://www.nytimes.com/1947/09/28/archives/japanese-palace-replica-near-monticello-now-open-to-public.html?sq=Japanese+Palace%253B+Replica+near+monticello&scp=1&st=p . live .
10. https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9805E2D81F31E733A25753C2A96F9C946897D6CF&scp=10&sq=Takamine&st=p "Kuni in Japanese House; Host of Prince, Dr. Takamine, Has Japanese Structures of St. Louis Fair,"
11. Web site: 2008-02-26 . Sho Fu Den . 2023-07-06 . 2008-02-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080226053322/http://www.shofuden.com/index.php?page=history . bot: unknown .
12. News: Gray . Christopher . 2001-09-30 . Streetscapes/161 West 93rd Street; A Building That Recalls the Days After Pearl Harbor . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-07-06 . 0362-4331 . 2023-05-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230528151426/https://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/30/realestate/streetscapes-161-west-93rd-street-building-that-recalls-days-after-pearl-harbor.html . live .
13. Book: Katz, Stan S. . The Art of Peace . Horizon Productions . 2019 . expanded . 32, 200, 216 note 5, 219 note 13, 364, 365, 370, 384 note 11.
14. Web site: 2020 . Introduction to The Art of Peace: the illustrated biography of Prince Iyesato Tokugawa . TheEmperorAndTheSpy.com . 2020-08-17 . 2020-08-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200805132921/https://theemperorandthespy.com/2020/04/the-art-of-peace-the-illustrated-biography-on-prince-iyesato-tokugawa/ . live .
15. Web site: Cherry Trees in Washington DC . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070227082826/http://www.islands.ne.jp/8686/column/20010315.html . 2007-02-27.
16. Book: Katz, Stan S. . The Art of Peace . Horizon Productions . 2019 . 978-0-9903349-6-5 . California . 209, 225–6, 373–4, 379.
17. Web site: 2020 . 1915 Photo: Theodore Roosevelt & William Howard Taft honor Baron Shibusawa Eiichi during his important diplomatic visit to the United States. . 2020-06-04 . 2023-03-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230328192833/https://theemperorandthespy.com/2020/02/history-has-its-mysteries-recently-discovered-1915-photo-theodore-roosevelt-william-howard-taft-honor-baron-shibusawa-during-his-important-diplomatic-visit-to-the-united-states/ . live .
18. Joan Bennet . December 2001 . The Time Line: Adrenalin and cherry trees . Modern Drug Discovery . 4 . 12 . 47–48,51 . 2016-01-24 . 2019-01-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190101100524/http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/archive/mdd/v04/i12/html/12timeline.html . live .
19. Book: Doak, Kevin Michael . Xavier's legacies: Catholicism in modern Japanese culture . 2011 . UBC Press . 978-0-7748-2021-9 . Asian religions and society series . Vancouver.
20. Web site: 2002 . Ten Japanese Great Inventors . Japan Patent Office . 2021-02-16 . 2022-10-29 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221029150050/https://www.jpo.go.jp/e/introduction/rekishi/10hatsumeika/ . live .
21. Web site: さくら、さくら －サムライ化学者 高峰譲吉の生涯－ . Sakura, Sakura - The life of samurai chemist Jokichi Takamine . 20 October 2016 . Yahoo Movie Database . ja . 20 October 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161020172758/http://movies.yahoo.co.jp/movie/%E3%81%95%E3%81%8F%E3%82%89%E3%80%81%E3%81%95%E3%81%8F%E3%82%89%E3%80%80%EF%BC%8D%E3%82%B5%E3%83%A0%E3%83%A9%E3%82%A4%E5%8C%96%E5%AD%A6%E8%80%85+%E9%AB%98%E5%B3%B0%E8%AD%B2%E5%90%89%E3%81%AE%E7%94%9F%E6%B6%AF%EF%BC%8D/336445/ . live .
22. Web site: TAKAMINE ～アメリカに桜を咲かせた男～ . Takamine - The man who made sakura blossom in America . 20 October 2016 . Yahoo Movie Database . ja . 20 October 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161020110620/http://movies.yahoo.co.jp/movie/TAKAMINE+%EF%BD%9E%E3%82%A2%E3%83%A1%E3%83%AA%E3%82%AB%E3%81%AB%E6%A1%9C%E3%82%92%E5%92%B2%E3%81%8B%E3%81%9B%E3%81%9F%E7%94%B7%EF%BD%9E/339463/ . live .
23. http://www4.city.kanazawa.lg.jp/11020/chashitsu/takamine.jsp 旧高峰家