Rita Taketsuru

Rita Taketsuru (竹鶴リタ, Taketsuru Rita, 14 December 1896[1] – 17 January 1961[2]), born Jessie Roberta Cowan, was the Scottish wife of Masataka Taketsuru, the founder of Nikka Whisky.

Rita Taketsuru
Born
Jessie Roberta Cowan

(1896-12-14)14 December 1896
Kirkintilloch, Scotland
Died17 January 1961(1961-01-17) (aged 64)
Yoichi, Hokkaido, Japan
NationalityScottish-Japanese
OccupationBusinesswoman
Spouse(s)

Life

She was born into a doctor's family[3] in Kirkintilloch,[4] East Dunbartonshire, a town near Glasgow. Of four siblings, Rita was the oldest, followed by her sister Isabella Lillian "Ella" Cowan, the third daughter Lucy, who was 3 years younger than Ella, and finally their younger brother Campbell.[5][6]

Masataka Taketsuru entered Scotland's Glasgow University in 1918[5] to study organic chemistry and applied chemistry.[3] At that time Rita's younger sister Ella, enrolled at the University's medical faculty, requested Masataka to instruct her younger brother Campbell in Judo (Jiujitsu).[7] Masataka and Rita then met at the Cowan house.[8] Having expressed his love to Rita, Masataka then revealed to her his wish to help in "making real whisky in Japan". They married in a simple ceremony at the register office in January 1920.[3] After marrying, they moved to Japan that same year, and lived for a while in Osaka.[9]

After Masataka opened the distillery in Yoichi in 1934 in Hokkaido, Rita continued to support him devotedly.[10]

Rita spent many of her last years in Zushi, Kanagawa, as it was both close to Tokyo where Masataka often stayed and convenient for medical care – she suffered from liver disease and tuberculosis. However, in the autumn of 1960 she returned to Yoichi, and died there in January 1961.[3] She is buried in Yoichi together with her husband who later died in 1979.

Using the inheritance she received from relatives as funds, Rita established the "Rita Nursery".[11]

In Yoichi, there is a "Rita Road".[12]

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See also

References
  1. (Japanese) NIKKA WHISKY "The tale of Rita Taketsuru" Chapter 4 Part 52 Rita's Grave Asahi Beer Mobile
  2. (Japanese) NIKKA WHISKY "The Tale of Rita Taketsuru" Chapter 4 Part 49 Rita's Death Asahi Beer Mobile
  3. (Japanese) Masataka and Rita Taketsuru - Yoichi, Hokkaido/Takehara, Hiroshima asahi.com
  4. Astonishing life of Scots woman who took whisky to Japan Daily Record
  5. (Japanese) NIKKA WHISKY The Take of Rita Taketsuru Chapter 1 Part 1 Asahi Beer Mobile
  6. (Japanese) NIKKA WHISKY The Tale of Rita Taketsuru Chapter 1 Part 3 Asahi Beer Mobile
  7. (Japanese) Traveling Song: Spread in East Asia with Different Lyrics "Light of the Firefly" - asahi.com Shopping(Asahi News)
  8. (Japanese) Mr. Taketsuru's Love p.1 Meeting Rita Archived 2013-12-24 at the Wayback Machine Nikka World｜NIKKA WHISKY
  9. (Japanese) Tezukayama University Story - chapter 19
  10. "Rita Road" (Japanese) Hokkaido Newspaper "Hokkaido 100 Roads"
  11. (Japanese) Mr. Taketsuru's Love p.3 Greatest Love and Most Understanding Nikka World｜NIKKA WHISKY
  12. (Japanese) 道番号１５：リタロード 竹鶴夫人の功績伝える(2012/05/06) Doshin web|Hokkaido Shimbun
  13. (Japanese) Tezukayama University Story
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