Kawai EX Brochure & Specs - page 4
Koichi Kawai (center) with
his original staff in 1927.
Shigeru Kawai, circa 1957.
R yuyo Grand Piano Factor y.
A F a m i l y T r a d i t i o n
Koichi Kawai, Founder
(1886-1955 )
Shigeru Kawai
(1922-2006 )
Hirotaka Kawai
President
Koichi Kawai, our founder, was born in Hamamatsu, Japan
in 1886. As he entered his teens, young Koichi began working
in the piano industry. He was a key member of the research and
development team that first introduced pianos to Japan.
A talented inventor, Koichi Kawai was the first to design and build a
piano action in Japan. He held many patents for his inventions and
designs.
In 1927, Koichi Kawai founded the Kawai Musical Instrument
Research Laboratory, employing seven other kindred individuals.
As a young company, the only thing that supported them was their passion for music and desire
to produce superior pianos. Koichi’s fundamental principles were centered around quality, music
appreciation and the quest for excellence. These basic principles inspire and direct Kawai to this day.
After Koichi Kawai’s death in 1955, Shigeru Kawai became
company president at the young age of 33. Shigeru was determined to
remain true to his father’s ideals. He foresaw rapid growth in the music
industry and planned accordingly - expanding production facilities and
establishing a number of organizations to promote the value of music.
Resourceful and innovative, Shigeru became the
evolving link between the age of skilled handwork and
modern technology. In 1980, he opened the Ryuyo
Grand Piano Facility… recognized today as the most
advanced piano-building facility in the world.
Hirotaka Kawai, appointed president in 1989, remains
committed to carrying on the tradition established by his
father and grandfather. In affirming their philosophy,
he states, “At Kawai, the quest for perfection is not just
an ideal... but a duty”. Under Hirotaka’s guidance, the
company embarked upon a program which invested
tens of millions of dollars to integrate advanced robotics
into the manufacturing process. He has also directed
the establishment of Kawai manufacturing facilities in
locations around the globe.
Thus, the tradition of
family leadership at Kawai
lives on from generation to
generation.
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