Yamaha Corporation

Yamaha Corporation (ヤマハ株式会社, Yamaha Kabushiki Gaisha^?) is a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services, especially musical instruments and electronic devices.

History

It was founded in 1887 as a piano and harmonium factory by Torakusu Yamaha as Nippon Gakki Company, Limited (日本楽器製造株式会社, Nippon Gakki Seizō Kabushiki Gaisha^?) in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, and was established on October 12, 1887 The origin of this company as a musical instrument factory is still reflected in the group's logo, formed by three crossed tuning forks.

The production of musical instruments is diversifying and increasing in quality. In 1930 Yamaha created the world's first acoustic research room, and in 1931 its engineers reviewed the acoustics of the new building of the Diet of Japan. Due to his experience handling wood, during the war he worked making wooden airplane propellers, and later metal propellers.

After World War II the president of the company, Genichi Kawakami decided to give a new use to the machinery acquired during the war and used the company's skill with metals to start building motorcycles. The YA-1 (aka Akatombo, the "Red Dragonfly") of which 125 were made in the first year of construction (1954) were named in honor of the company's founder. It was an urban motorcycle with a 125 cc, single-cylinder, two-stroke engine, inspired by the German DKW RT 125 (which also inspired the Bantam of the English ammunition company BSA, and the Harley- Davidson Hummer). In 1955, the success of the YA-1 motivated the firm to found Yamaha Motor Company as a semi-independent company.

Yamaha has grown to become the largest manufacturer of musical instruments in the world (including pianos, drums, guitars, basses, woodwind and brass instruments, symphonic percussion, violins, violas, cellos, and synthesizers), as well as a leading manufacturer of semiconductors (started in 1971), audiovisual products, peripherals and other computer items, sporting goods, home appliances and furniture, specialty metals, machine tools and industrial robotics. Its engine division is one of the leading motorcycle manufacturers.

In October 1987, on the occasion of its first centenary, the official name changed to Yamaha Corporation.

It acquired Sequential Circuits in 1988 and the majority (51%) of its competitor Korg between 1989 and 1993.

In 2002, Yamaha closed its line of archery sports products, which it had launched in 1959. Six archers in five different Olympic Games won gold medals using its products.

In 2004 it acquired the German audio editing software manufacturer Steinberg from Pinnacle Systems.

In July 2007, Yamaha purchased the Kemble family's minority stake in Yamaha-Kemble Music (UK) Ltd, official importer of its musical instrument products and professional audio equipment and sales force, and renamed it Yamaha Music UK Ltd in autumn 2007. Kemble & Co. Ltd, distributor and manufacturer of its pianos, was not affected by the agreement.

On December 20, 2007, Yamaha reached an agreement with the Austrian group BAWAG P.S.K. to purchase all of its interests in Bösendorfer, which will materialize in early 2008. Yamaha intends to continue manufacturing at the Bösendorfer factories in Austria. The purchase of Bösendorfer was announced after the NAMM Show in Los Angeles on January 28 2008. Since February 1, 2008, Bösendorfer Klavierfabrik GmbH operates as a subsidiary of Yamaha Corporation. Yamaha Corporation is also widely known for its music program which began in the 1980s.

Other Yamaha group companies

• Bösendorfer Klavierfabrik GmbH, Vienna, Austria.
• Yamaha Motor Company
• Yamaha Fine Technologies Co., Ltd.
• Yamaha Livingtec Corporation
• Yamaha Metanix Corporation
• Yamaha Pro Audio
• VOCALOID

• Yamaha Guitars