Takako Iwasaki

Takako Iwasaki (July 11, 1888 – September 10, 1975) was a Japanese noblewoman and the wife of Kayata Iwasaki. She was the daughter of Jinpichi Shimazu, and her mother was the fourth daughter of Saemon Shimazu, Noriko.

There are no detailed records concerning her place of birth or early life. After graduating from an aristocratic girls' school in 1907, she married Kayata Iwasaki the same year. Following her marriage, she was involved in entertaining guests and managing household affairs in the Iwasaki family.

In the late Taisho era, Takako conceived of a confectionery shaped like a golf ball as a souvenir presented at parties hosted after golf tournaments. The confection was inspired by the expensive golf balls of the time and was designed to delight recipients upon seeing its contents. The confection was produced by Toraya and sold as "Golf Nakami." In 1934, the name was changed to "Hole-in-One."

In December 1945 (Showa 20), Kayata Iwasaki passed away. After World War II, due to the dissolution of the zaibatsu, Takako, along with other family members, was designated as part of the zaibatsu family and placed under the management of the Holding Company Restructuring Committee. Despite the upheaval, she lived quietly in Atami, affected but maintained her family's and her property’s survival.

She died at the age of 87. The cause was a cerebral hemorrhage, and she passed away at her home in Hayashigaoka, Atami. Most of her preserved artworks were donated to Seikado Bunko by her son-in-law, Tadao Iwasaki.

After her death, detailed records and biographical materials about her have been included in publications such as "The Life of Kayata Iwasaki: Iwasaki Family Biography Vol. 6" (published by the Iwasaki Family Biographical Society in 1979) and Takashi Miyagawa's "Kayata Iwasaki: The Business Philosophy That Fostered Mitsubishi" (1996).