What role did Masataka Taketsuru play in the history of Japanese whisky development?

Simply put, Masataka Taketsuru is the "Father of Japanese Whisky." Without him, the Japanese whisky we drink today might be completely different, or it might have appeared decades later.

You can imagine him as a pioneer, embarking on a "pilgrimage to the West."

In the early 20th century, no one in Japan truly knew how to make authentic whisky. At that time, a company called "Settsu Shuzo" wanted to venture into this, so they sent a young man to Scotland to study – this young man was Masataka Taketsuru.

He wasn't there for tourism. He genuinely studied chemistry at a Scottish university and then apprenticed at several top whisky distilleries, starting from the most basic tasks. He meticulously recorded everything he learned, from raw material processing, the shape and operation of stills, to the selection and maturation of oak casks, all in his notebooks. These notebooks later became known as the "Taketsuru Notebooks," the "secret manual" of Japanese whisky.

When he returned, armed with his newfound skills and a Scottish wife (his love story is also legendary), ready to make a big impact, his former employer went out of business due to economic problems.

It was then that another key figure, Shinjiro Torii, the founder of Suntory, sought him out. Torii had money and dreams but lacked technical expertise; Taketsuru had the skills and experience but no capital. The two hit it off, and under Masataka Taketsuru's leadership, Japan's first true whisky distillery, Yamazaki Distillery, was established.

Thus, his first important role was that of a "founder." He brought the complete set of Scottish whisky techniques and philosophies, intact, to Japan, and personally crafted the first drop of pure malt whisky belonging to Japan.

However, his collaboration with Shinjiro Torii later led to disagreements.

• Taketsuru was a technical enthusiast and an idealist. He wanted to make whisky that was smoky, robust, and a complete replica of the Scottish style, believing that was the "right way."
• Torii was a businessman and a realist. He felt that such strong-flavored whisky would not be palatable to the Japanese people of the time, and he wanted to create whisky with a softer taste that would be more readily accepted by the market.

You could imagine it as a chef wanting to make the most authentic Italian pizza, but the boss thinks adding pineapple and corn would make it sell better.

Ultimately, to realize his ideal, Taketsuru left Suntory and went to Hokkaido, a region with a climate and environment very similar to Scotland. There, he established the Yoichi Distillery and founded his own company, which later became Nikka. He insisted on using traditional Scottish coal-fired direct-heat stills, which are less efficient but produce unique flavors, all to create the perfect whisky in his heart.

Therefore, his second important role was that of a "benchmark" and "spiritual leader." Through the Nikka company he founded, he established another style for Japanese whisky – one of adherence to tradition, uncompromising quality, and the pursuit of excellence. It is precisely because of these two giants, Suntory and Nikka, with their distinct styles and mutual competition, that the world of Japanese whisky became rich and diverse, continuously improving in quality, and ultimately reaching the pinnacle of global recognition.

In summary:

Masataka Taketsuru's role is that of the "Prometheus" who brought the flame of whisky from Scotland to Japan. He was not only the introducer of technology and the builder of the first distillery but also the shaper of the spirit of Japanese whisky. His almost obsessive persistence and pursuit of quality profoundly influenced the entire Japanese whisky industry, even to this day.