Jokichi Takamine

Quick Facts: Who was Jokichi Takamine?

Subject:

Jokichi Takamine

Known for:

Pioneering Japanese chemist, known for isolating adrenaline and enzyme research.

Born:

1854-11-03

Died:

1922-07-22

Century / Era:

1854s Historical Era Archive

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Jokichi Takamine (高峰 譲吉, Takamine Jōkichi; November 3, 1854 – July 22, 1922) was a Japanese chemist. He is known for being the first to isolate adrenaline in 1901. Takamine was born in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, in November 1854. 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.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

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 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. 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.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

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. 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.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1854 (1854-11-03): Birth of Jokichi Takamine — Pioneering Japanese chemist, known for isolating adrenaline and enzyme research.
2. 1879: 1879 Milestone — He was educated in Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo, graduating from one of the predecessors of Tokyo Imperial University in 1879.
3. 1883: 1883 Milestone — He did postgraduate work at University of Glasgow and Anderson College in Scotland until 1883.
4. 1884: 1884 Milestone — 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.
5. 1885: 1885 Milestone — In 1885, he became the temporary Chief of the Japanese Patent Office and helped to lay the foundations of patent administration.
6. 1901: 1901 Milestone — He is known for being the first to isolate adrenaline in 1901.
7. 1922 (1922-07-22): Passing & Historical Legacy — Jokichi Takamine passed away on 1922-07-22, leaving an enduring historical legacy.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Jokichi Takamine

True or False: “Jokichi Takamine's initial work on diastase was inspired by the malting process used in traditional whisky production.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): His enzyme source came from koji (Aspergillus oryzae), a fungus used in making soy sauce and miso, not barley malting.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Jokichi Takamine