🥃 Masataka Taketsuru: The Man Who Gave His Life to Whisky

Introduction

Few figures are as vital to the foundation of Japanese whisky as Masataka Taketsuru. Trained in Scotland, married into Scottish culture, and unwavering in his pursuit of quality, he became the bridge between Western tradition and Japanese refinement.

This article explores the life, philosophy, and enduring impact of a man who didn't just make whisky—he lived it.

🔗 Table of Contents

• 1. A Brewer’s Son with a Different Dream
• 2. Scotland: The Education of a Master
• 3. Love, Marriage, and Return
• 4. Yamazaki and the First Japanese Whisky
• 5. Founding Nikka: A Vision Realised
• Conclusion: More Than a Name

1. A Brewer’s Son with a Different Dream

Born in 1894 to a sake-brewing family in Hiroshima, Taketsuru was expected to continue in traditional Japanese liquor. But his fascination lay elsewhere: in the science and spirit of Western whisky.

Unlike many of his peers, he saw whisky not as a foreign luxury, but as a craft to be studied, understood, and adapted for Japan.

2. Scotland: The Education of a Master

In 1918, he travelled to Scotland to learn whisky-making firsthand. At the University of Glasgow, he studied organic chemistry and apprenticed at distilleries including Longmorn and Hazelburn.

He was the first Japanese person to formally study the process from grain to cask, absorbing not only techniques but also the deeper cultural respect for time, patience, and precision.

3. Love, Marriage, and Return

While in Scotland, he met and fell in love with Rita Cowan, whom he married in 1920 despite cultural resistance from both sides. They returned to Japan together, with Rita later becoming an integral part of his journey.

Taketsuru brought back more than knowledge. He brought back a lifestyle, a philosophy, and a quiet revolution.

4. Yamazaki and the First Japanese Whisky

In 1923, Taketsuru was hired by Shinjiro Torii to help establish Japan’s first whisky distillery: Yamazaki. While Torii was the financier and visionary, Taketsuru handled production, adapting Scottish methods to Japanese conditions.

Their first releases, including the now-legendary White Label, marked the dawn of Japanese whisky—not just in manufacture but in spirit.

5. Founding Nikka: A Vision Realised

After parting ways with Suntory, Taketsuru founded Dai Nippon Kaju in 1934 in Yoichi, Hokkaido—later renamed Nikka Whisky. The location, harsh and remote, resembled the climate of Scotland and reflected his commitment to authenticity.

Nikka would become his life’s work, and his legacy lives on in every peated, carefully crafted dram the company produces.

Conclusion: More Than a Name

Masataka Taketsuru wasn’t just a founder. He was a pioneer, a teacher, and a cultural translator.

Today, his name adorns bottles not out of formality, but out of reverence. Every sip of Japanese whisky, from Melbourne to Sapporo, carries with it the spirit of a man who believed that Japan could do more than imitate—it could create.