In 1962, Sakata introduced the melon "Prince" revolutionizing the market for melons in Japan. From early on, musk melons were standard dessert items on the menus of expensive restaurants and were customarily given as presents to sick friends or relatives in hospital. The cultivation of musk melons required painstaking care in greenhouses.

The melon that was considered as having the most potential was developed in July 1961 and was very well received in taste tests in the market. This melon was named after the group of fruit merchants that oversaw the taste tests, which was known as the "Prince Committee". It was from 1961 that seed production began in earnest and the 1960s would be considered the melon "Prince era". Among Takeo's many fine accomplishments, the Prince melon, which was the product of a lot of trial and error, stands out as one of his greatest achievement.