American Takii Celebrates 180th Anniversary With New Facility
October 19, 2015 When Takii & Company was founded in Kyoto, Japan, in 1835, the country was in the middle of the Great Famine, which began in 1832. But one thing has not changed in the nearly two centuries the company has been in business, Denichi Takii, the company’s president, told an audience who gathered at American Takii recently.
The president of Takii and Company, Denichi Takii, speaks at an event marking the company’s 180th anniversary and the grand opening of American Takii’s new facility in Salinas, CA. (Photo Credit: David Eddy)
“We hold deeply in our hearts our mission to create excellent varieties and to contribute to the world’s well-being through breeding and producing high quality seeds,” Takii said through an interpreter to an audience at American Takii’s headquarters in Salinas, CA.
Besides celebrating their 180th anniversary, the company held a grand opening of their new 22,500-square-foot seed processing facility. In addition to speeches, events centered on traditional Japanese activities and tours of American Takii’s greenhouses, trial fields, and new seed processing equipment.
Along with Takii himself, who was visiting the facility for the first time in 15 years, were Kazuo Hatsuda, senior executive director; Osamu Sugimura, director and president of American Takii Inc.; and Steve Wiley, general manager, who hosted the event.
Guests were welcomed to the accompaniment of Taiko Drummers, which is an Americanism, as Taiko is the Japanese word for drum. In North America, this term is used to describe both the Japanese drum itself and the art form of kumidaiko — ensemble drumming with Japanese drums.
Breaking open a ceremonial sake barrel Kagami-biraki is a Japanese tradition often performed at the opening of a new facility or celebratory events. The lid of the sake barrel is broken open by a wooden mallet and the sake is served to everyone present.
Leaders of both Takii and Company of Kyoto, Japan, and American Takii toast – after the traditional breaking of a barrel of sake – the seed company’s new Salinas, CA facility and the parent company’s 180th anniversary. (Photo Credit: David Eddy)
Kagami refers to the lid of the sake barrel and biraki means “to open” so kagami-biraki literally means “opening the lid.” Because of the lid’s round shape, the kagami is a symbol of harmony. The kagami-biraki, therefore, represents an opening to harmony and good fortune.
Takii is known for breeding magnificent sunflowers. A movie was shown of the opening of the recent grand opening of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and the 125,000 sunflowers grown from Takii seed were given to attendees.
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