[1][2] The two brothers were born in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, but would move to the Korean peninsula by early adulthood.
"[1][2] During Japan's occupation of Korea, Noritaka was stationed as a Japanese elementary school teacher in present-day Seoul with Takumi being sent there a year later as a forest engineer.
In 1924 the three founded the National Folk Museum of Korea, in Seoul, displaying examples of Korean culture as well as their own research.
[1] Takumi lived as a Korean, and died at the age of 40 after delivering his final words "bury my bones in the land of Joseon.
"[1] Beloved by the locals he was given a funerary procession, and would posthumously become well known for his work promoting Korean culture, being depicted in the novel "The Man of White Porcelain", by Emiya Takayuki, which is due to be released as a film in 2012.