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The Improbable Journey of Jokichi Takamine, Pt. 1 (Ep. 52)

February 3, 2023 · Leave a Comment

EPISODE INTRO

In the 52nd episode of the Japan Distilled podcast, we take you through the foundational years of the improbable and remarkable journey of the first Japanese person to ever make whiskey: Jokichi Takamine. It’s probably not too much to say that Jokichi Takamine is the most important Japanese immigrant to ever live in the United States. His whiskey is just a small part of his story.

CREDITS

Theme Song: Begin Anywhere by Tomoko Miyata (http://tomokomiyata.net/)

Mixing and Editing: Rich Pav (https://www.uncannyjapan.com/)

HOSTS

STEPHEN LYMAN discovered Japan’s indigenous spirits at an izakaya in New York City. He was so enthralled that he now lives in Japan and works in a tiny craft shochu distillery every autumn. His first book, The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks, was nominated for a 2020 James Beard Award.

MATT ALT is our first guest host! Author of numerous books including his most recent, Pure Invention: How Japan Made the Modern World, is an exploration of Japan’s incredible post-war rise to commercial diplomacy juggernaut. He’s also an accomplished drinks writer and cocktail historian.

If you have any comments or questions about Jokichi Takamine, please reach out to Stephen or Matt via Twitter. We would love to hear from you. 

SHOW NOTES

Upheaval

The mid-1800s brought incredibly fast change to Japan as the US opened the country at gunpoint and the shogunate collapsed. Jokcihi Takamine and others like him were born into and grew up in this turbulent time. For many this lead to radicalization and extreme violence. For others, like Jokichi, this lead to opportunities uinmaginable just a few years earlier.

Early Years

Born November 3, 1854 to a samurai physician and the daughter of a sake making family, Jokichi Takamine was the first of 13 children.

Jokichi and his Father

He’d quickly be recognized as a prodigy by the Kaga Domain leaders, who supported his educational journey from Nagasaki to Kyoto to Osaka and ultimately to Tokyo University where he would be part of the 1st graduating class of the School of Engineering with a degree in applied chemistry. He would then, like so many others, be sent abroad to study western industrial practices.

Early Career

As with many young men of this era, Jokichi Takamine went to work for the central goverment in Tokyo, assigned to the Department of Agriculture and Commerce where he is tasked with modernizing 3 key Japanese industries: indigo dye production, paper-making, and of course, sake brewing. Before long he would be assigned to join a delegation to the World’s Exposition in New Orleans where he would be welcomed as a visiting dignitary (Americans saw the samurai class as knights and though he’d officially lost his title, this didn’t seem to matter).

Jokichi Takamine as a young man.

While in New Orleans, Jokichi Takamine would meet and fall in love with a young debutante, Caroline “Carrie” Hitch. Lacking the resources to ask for her hand in marriage, he returned to Japan to earn enough to marry her.

Jokichi and Caroline were an unlikely pair for the time, but they would remain together until his death.

Upon his return, was assigned as the interim director of Japan’s patent office. Shortly thereafter he took leave of the post to establish Asia’s first superphosphate mine. Fortunate secured, he returned to New Orleans in 1887 to marry Caroline.

Tokyo

Caroline gamely moved to Tokyo with her new husband, but the culture shock appears to have been too much.

Ebenezer, Jokichi, and Jr.

She did manage to bear two children during their brief stay in Tokyo, Jokichi, Jr. and Ebenezer. Just 3 years later, the family would be encouraged to return to America by Caroline’s mother who had a business proposition. But that will have to wait until next time.

KANPAI!

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japandistilled

Episode 54 tackles the topic of dilution in spirit Episode 54 tackles the topic of dilution in spirits. With the obsession with cask strength something may be lost. And that is the texture that can be brought to a spirit with really nice spring water, which is abundant in Japan. Cheers!
Episodes 52 & 53 were a 2 part episode on the life Episodes 52 & 53 were a 2 part episode on the life and legacy of Jokichi Takamine, easily the most influential Japanese immigrant to ever inhabit America. @altmattalt & @shochu_danji cover Takamine’s life from his early days in Japan to his fateful trip to New Orleans to his life in Chicago and then New York. If you flip through these you’ll see some of the places he lived from Denis House in NOLA to @sho_fu_den in the Catskills to his current resting place in @thewoodlawncemetery in the Bronx. We are obsessed with this man. No doubt. 

Why is a Japanese spirits podcast obsessed? Because he was the first Japanese person to ever make whisky. A full generation before Taketsuru. Takamine was the OG.
Episode 51 was about a year of drinking less dange Episode 51 was about a year of drinking less dangerously. @shochu_danji and @christopherpellegrini discuss mindful drinking and how to pace yourself. One way, of course, is copious amounts of hydration. Drinking other fluids helps slow you down. Another is to drink premium products and savor them for what they are rather than rushing through as many glasses as possible. One great drink is worth far more than many lesser ones. Kanpai!
Episode 50 was our 1st ever Q&A episode. You can t Episode 50 was our 1st ever Q&A episode. You can trust us, we’re authors. Have a listen in your podcast feed if you haven’t already. Our next Q&A episode will probably be at the end of 2024 so you’ve got plenty of time to get your questions submitted. 

Rare photo of us together during a joint book signing @tales_of_the_cocktail #totc2023

📸 @gigi_gaoyang
Event Alert! Our first ever in-person Japan Dist Event Alert! 

Our first ever in-person Japan Distilled whisky tasting. Come out to Travel Bar in Brooklyn this Thursday 7/20 6-8pm to meet our co-hosts, sample some 8 & 16 year old Takamine Koji Whiskey, and try our favorite Takamine cocktail from one of our favorite bartenders, Jane Nam. 

Come on out and lift a glass to the most epic Japanese human to ever live in America. 

Tickets available through eventbrite (link in profile). 

#whisky #whiskey #whiskytasting #brooklyn #travelbar #kojiwhisky #kojiwhiskey #koji #takaminewhiskey #japandistilled #podcast #podcastlife
Stephen reporting live from @shochu_fes 2023 in Fu Stephen reporting live from @shochu_fes 2023 in Fukuoka!
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