Takatsukasa graduated in zoology from the Imperial University of Tokyo (1914) where he studied under
Isao Ijima and received a doctorate in 1943. He was a specialist on birds and published several papers and books on the birds of Japan, collaborating with other Japanese ornithologists including
Yoshimaro Yamashina and
Masauji Hachisuka. He also worked with
Oliver L. Austin Jr. (1903-1988). He was also a keen aviculturist. He presided over the Ornithological Society of Japan from 1922 to 1946. His books included Kaidori (1917), Kaidori Shusei (1930) and Japanese Birds (1941). In 1944, he became high priest for the Meiji Shrine and was involved in the "Great Zoo Massacre" of 1943 at the
Ueno zoological gardens. He presided over the "Memorial Service for Martyred Animals" following the killing of the animals. == Personal life ==