90 years ago, a young inventor left his prominent position as chief engineer for a major piano manufacturer in Japan to begin his own quest for perfection. Koichi Kawai created the Kawai Musical Research Laboratory in 1927 with a small team of colleagues in his hometown of Hamamatsu.
Known today as Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing, the fledgling business that Koichi launched is now celebrating its 90th anniversary as one of the largest and most respected companies in the music product industry.
Only three men have led Kawai over its long history. Koichi Kawai was the engineering genius behind the company’s steady progress until his passing in 1955. Shigeru Kawai, then a young man of 33 years, succeeded Koichi at the helm and oversaw the company’s rapid growth and the expansion of its distribution to 88 countries around the world. Shigeru also embraced the use of modern materials and manufacturing techniques, laying the groundwork for the company to become an industry leader in piano technology for decades to come.
In 1989, the third generation of family leadership began as Koichi’s grandson, Hirotaka Kawai, became president of the Kawai Global Group and remains so today. During Hirotaka’s tenure, Kawai has expanded its product range to offer a complete line of acoustic and digital keyboard instruments. Kawai products now cover every keyboard industry segment from grand, upright and digital pianos to hybrid instruments and professional stage pianos.
Evidence of the company’s success can be seen in the prominent recognition Kawai instruments have received from around the world. The latest examples are MMR Magazine’s top industry award for “2016 Product of the Year” presented to Kawai’s GL Series Grand Pianos, and MMR’s “2016 Digital Home Keyboard of the Year” award presented to Kawai’s CS and CA Series Digital Pianos. Since 1999, Kawai has received 45 major international awards for product and service excellence from music industry media organizations across the globe.
As the Kawai Global Group celebrates its 90th anniversary, the founder’s commitment to excellence lives on. Summarizing the philosophy of his grandfather Koichi, company president Hirotaka Kawai states: “At Kawai, the quest for perfection is not just an ideal – but a duty.”
