Remember, back then, you couldn’t jump on YouTube and watch a tutorial on how to produce whisky, or head on over to the GreatDrams blogs to learn more about this amazing tipple. The distillers in Scotland and Ireland had passed on their secretes for generations. If Masataka was to learn how whisky was produced, he needed to visit Scotland.

After travelling to Scotland he would enrol at the University of Glasgow to study chemistry. This would help him understand whisky distillation. Whilst there, he met Rita’s sister Ella. Now, there is conflicting info here regarding how he met Rita, so apologies, but I’m doing my best.

One story goes that, after meeting Ella, she asked him if he would teach her younger brother Judo. Once he arrived at the house and laid eyes on Rita, it was love at first sight.

The other version of events is that, in order to save money, Masataka would lodge with Rita’s family. In any event, the two quickly fell in love and began a romantic relationship.

Rita’s family did not approve, especially considering her husband had died so soon prior, but we can’t help who we fall in love with.

Learning Whisky

Now in a relationship, Masataka and Rita began showing a keen interest in whisky. This was largely down to Rita wanting to support her man, and support him she did.

Masataka travelled the whisky regions in Scotland, and worked as an apprentice as numerous distilleries, including Longmorn in Speyside, and Hazelburn in Campbeltown.

After a couple of years, Masataka was happy he’d learned all he needed to learn. The time had come for him to return to Japan and continue the next phase of his dream. The problem was that he had fallen in love with Rita, and didn’t want to leave her behind. Despite her family objecting, Rita chose to travel back to Japan with Masataka. Before that however, they got quietly married in 1920.

I really admire Rita here. She was travelling to a new country with different cultures, different ways of life, different food and drink, and a different language.

After arriving in Japan, the pair had to essentially start from scratch. They moved to Osaka and Rita supported them by taking on a job as an English teacher while Masataka tried to find a company to invest in his whisky vision.

Finally, three years later after approaching drinks company Kotobukiya, who would later become drinks giant Suntory, they agreed to invest in his vision by offering him a 10-year contract in 1923. This was the start of something much bigger.

The Birth of Nikka Whisky

After 10 years, and overseeing the production of the Yamazaki Distillery in Osaka and Japan’s first ever whisky, Masataka’s time with Suntory came to an end. Without him, Suntory wouldn’t be the juggernaut it is now. In fact, Japanese whisky probably wouldn’t even be a thing.

Despite their generous offer, he wanted to make it on his own, and so the couple looked into creating their own whisky company – Nippon Kaju.

They travelled to Hokkaido in the northwest. This was because the region had a climate much similar to that of Speyside in Scotland. This, they believed, was the secret to a fine whisky. They quickly built a distillation and got to work, producing an alcoholic apple juice in the meantime. By 1940, their first batch was complete.

The whisky was remarkable. It had fruity, honey, oak, and woody notes with just a hint of smoke. They called it Nikka, after their business. Eventually the business would also be re-branded as Nikka Whisky, due to how amazing their drams were.

The couple, unable to have children of their own, adopted instead. Adopting Masataka’s nephew when he was 20 years of age in 1933, as well as a daughter named Rima, in 1930.

As successful as the couple were, times were tough. As WW2 broke out, because Rita was British and Japan had sided with the Axis against the allies, the locals turned on her. She would be shouted at in the street, and have rocks thrown at her windows. Japan’s military police would even raid their home several times and accuse her of being a spy for the West, which was of course nonsense. Again, this isn’t confirmed so don’t shoot the messenger, but I’ve even read stories of Rima, Rita’s adoptive daughter, turning on her because tensions were so high.

Thankfully, the war ended, tensions eased, and Nikka Whisky went from strength to strength.

Legacy

Sadly, Rita would develop liver failure and Tuberculosis later in life, and on January the 17^th, 1961, she passed away at 64 years of age.

Masataka died 18 years later in 1979 and the two are buried together on a hillside overlooking the distillery that made their hopes and dreams come true.

Nikka Whisky has won multiple awards and medals over the years, and is a wonderful wee dram that I’d happily drink again and again. With its notes of freshly mowed meadows, aromatic flowers, fruits, winter spices, and oak, all tied together in a finish leaving you with toffee, caramel, vanilla, and ripe summer berries, it’s easy to see why Nikka is such a popular dram.

Had it not been for Rita Taketsuru (Cowan) however, it’s likely this amazing whisky wouldn’t even exist. That’s quite a legacy to leave behind.

That was the remarkable tale of Rita Cowan – The Mother of Japanese Whisky.

If you love whisky as much as we do, be sure to head on over to GreatDrams.com and check out the huge range of whiskies we have available.

Stocking Scotch primarily, we offer a wide range of exotic, rare, award-winning, and unique whiskies that you can’t find anywhere else. We also have an extensive array of whisky blogs where you can learn more about your favourite drams from here, and all over the globe.