View source for Jokichi Takamine

===Japan===
In 1883, Takamine returned to Japan and joined the division of chemistry at the newly established [[Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Japan)|Department of Agriculture and Commerce]] until 1887.<ref name=MDD/> He then founded the [[Tokyo Artificial Fertilizer Company]], where he later isolated the [[enzyme]] [[takadiastase]], an enzyme that catalyzes the breakdown of [[starch]]. Takamine developed his diastase from ''[[Aspergillus oryzae|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.<ref name="Pulvers">Pulvers, Roger,  "[http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20090628rp.html Jokichi Takamine: a man with fire in his belly whatever the odds] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607012845/http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20090628rp.html |date=2011-06-07 }}", ''[[Japan Times]]'', June 28, 2009, p. 8.</ref>