Dr. Jokichi Takamine’s induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame

07/15/24

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• On May 9 of this year, a ceremony was held in Washington D.C. to induct Dr. Jokichi Takamine, the first president of Nippon Club, into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

  

  Jokichi Takamine
  Adrenaline (Adrenalin®)

  The National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) is an American not-for-profit organization, founded in 1973, which recognizes individual engineers and inventors who hold a U.S. patent of significant technology.

  Why was Dr. Takamine selected for this award, even though he passed away more than 100 years ago? In recent years, an adrenaline preparation, EpiPen, has been proven effective against anaphylactic shock, a possible side effect of the coronavirus vaccine. The main ingredient of this drug is adrenaline, which Dr. Takamine was the first in the world to successfully extract and patent. The contribution may have been reevaluated.

  Jokichi Takamine was born in Takaoka City, Toyama Prefecture in 1854, and moved to the United States in 1890, where he lived permanently. He was a chemist, businessman, and biotechnology pioneer. His research led to the discovery of hawk diastase and adrenaline, which greatly contributed to the development of medicine.

  He founded the Nippon Club, a private gentleman’s club in New York in 1905, and it will celebrate its 120th anniversary next year.

  In 1912, cherry trees were donated to the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C., to strengthen the friendship between the United States and Japan. Dr. Takamine was one of those deeply involved in the donation of these cherry trees. . In honor of their contribution, a panel have been installed along the Potomac River to introduce its history. The cherry trees bring joy even today.