From the five lakes surrounding Mount Fuji to the beaches of Zihuatanejo, the Takahashi family trade extends out of history and into your kitchen, providing you with the highest quality Teflon cookware available in either hemisphere. Established in 1805, Takahashi’s Shellfish Concern began their modest distribution of cookware to the haciendas of founder, Raul Takahashi’s, Mexican pueblo. Now this company with humble beginnings distributes over 250,000 units per quarter world-wide with an estimated 300,000 by this spring. This success however is no accident. The Takahashi family has been perfecting their craft for centuries. In 300AD, Raul Takahashi’s ancestor, Raul Takahashi, was delivered the knowledge of metal-working during a vision quest he had deep in the forests of Yayoi. From that moment on, the Takahashi clan dedicated their whole lineage to the perfection of the art of blacksmithing with unprecedented diligence.

In 1958 a few more lines of this family’s illustrious history were written. One of Raul Takahashi's descendants, Raul Takahashi (current CEO of Takahashi's Shellfish Concern), sought to reconnect with the past, and for several days he rode his burro, deep into the high mountain caves of Miami. There he had a vision, just as his ancestor had over a millennia and a half ago. Time was no barrier between these two champions. A young Raul had a vision of a long-passed Raul who bestowed upon him the final bit of information necessary for the culmination of all these years of meticulous fabrication. Always having known that Takahashi comes from the antiquated taka meaning ancient, and hashi meaning great defender, Raul knew he had big shoes to fill, but could not imagine the plan his ancestor unfolded before him. From that ethereal meeting came the realization of a long-standing kinship with the invertebrates of the world, as well as the knowledge to help them transform their bodies in preparation for the great inter-species battle yet to come. Raul Takahashi used his knowledge of teflonry to forge a lightweight but durable armament for his invertabraic comrades. The resulting miracle alloy, known as Takaflon, has a composition so secretive that Raul Takahashi has never once spoken it aloud. Raul Takahashi entered that cave as a Teflon mogul and left as a self-proclaimed squid-smith, preferring that title to the outdated invertebraic defender handle he claims his fore-bearer had chosen for him.

Raul Takahashi never used his knowledge for any other reason than to help protect those who could not protect themselves. After years of legal battles concerning that very issue with his share-holders, Raul became increasingly suspicious of the human world, and finally went into a self-imposed exile in 2003. He left all his worldly possessions, including Takahashi's Shellfish Concern, to his son, Raul. The company continues to prosper, and although no one has heard from Raul Takahashi there continues to be a steady increase in the shellfish population world-wide.

 

 

Click here to listen to an excerpt from an interview Raul Takahashi gave in 1965.

Click here to order Takahashi Brand Teflon products.