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Sake legend Takagi Tatsugoro dies aged 84 years
Takagi Tatsugoro, the president of legendary sake brewery Juyondai, in North Japan, died on 2 March.
Founded in 1615 in Northern Japan’s Yamagata Prefecture, sake producer Takagi Shuzo has more than 400 years of history in sake brewing under its belt.
When Takagi Tatsugoro took over as president of the brewery in 1994, the company was facing a challenging moment as the price bubble had burst and Japan’s economy stagnated during the early ’90s.
Tatsugoro took a bold and innovative approach by abandoning the popular “Tanrei Dry” (smooth and semi-dry) style of sake at that time, in favour of brewing Daiginjo sakes with rich, fruity aromas and a rounded taste.
The new style was groundbreaking in the industry and helped the company to successfully weather the storm. His move revived the reputation of Daiginjo in Japan.
Premium brand Juyondai, hailed as “the DRC in sake” and one of the most sought-after sake labels around the world today, came from Tatsugoro’s son Akitsuna Takagi (15th generation producer).
Akitsuna named the brand in honour of his father as Juyondai refers to the “fourteenth generation” in Japanese.
Other than sake making, Tatsugoro was elected as a local politician in the Yamagata prefecture in 1988 and served two consecutive terms until 1995. During this period, he made a major contribution to the regional improvement project of Murayama City and the construction of the modern transport network.