There once was a man who devoted his entire life to creating the world s best pianos. As the war ended, Shigeru was disbanded from the troop and soon after he returned home, he was adopted by the Kawai family. At first, Shigeru was just an ordinary worker. He stood in the manufacturing area all day, sometimes slept overnight in the factory. He even bathed with his co-workers, using a drum can as a bathtub. It was an indication of how focused he was on his work, and how much he loved it. Three years later, he would start to learn piano design from his adoptive father, Koichi Kawai, the founder of Kawai. An engineer who was called Hatsumei Koichi (Koichi the Inventor), Koichi was the first person in Japan to design and build pianos. He taught Shigeru how to build pianos from scratch. Pianos are made of wood, so they must be made by hand that is appropriate to the characteristics of each material. As long as you are building pianos, you should strive to build the finest ones in the world. Shigeru paid great attention to Koichi s every word, but suddenly his adoptive father passed away. Filled with anxiety and despair, Shigeru took over the company. Over the next 35 years, Shigeru pushed himself to develop the company, transforming Kawai into an industry leader, representative of Japanese quality. When asked about his career, Shigeru would often remark, Creating pianos is the greatest job I have ever had! Shigeru Kawai was that kind of a man.
This factory would produce pianos that amazed the world. Carrying out the wishes of late Koichi Kawai, in 1980, Shigeru completed the grand piano factory. On the side of the main entrance to the factory, there is a monument engraved with his words, Here I establish the Ryuyo Factory, aiming to build the world s finest pianos. When you walk around the premises of Ryuyo, you will notice the fragrance of different woods, hear the comforting sound of lumber being planed by hand, and new pianos being tuned. In this lushly, green environment, each piano is carefully manufactured by dedicated craftsmen. If you don't like the piano that you build, build it again. Shigeru s words reflected his passionate beliefs. Shigeru wanted Ryuyo not just to become as an ordinary factory, but as a place for innovating, analyzing and researching the nature of this musical instrument. It was this environment that gave birth to the EX Concert Grand Piano, which continues to captivate pianists from all over the world, and the Shigeru Kawai, the grand piano brand that was named after him.
Pursuing Shigeru Kawai s vision, the evolution continues. On August 20th 2006, Shigeru Kawai, the man who had dedicated his entire life to building pianos passed away. Despite their grief and sadness, the friends and colleagues he left behind were already looking ahead to the future. By doing so, they believed that they could continue to follow Shigeru s beliefs. Even at this very moment, the craftsmen of Ryuyo are striving to build the world s finest pianos. Piano tuners, including Master Piano Artisan (MPA), are continuing to meet the precise requirements of pianists around the world, while salespeople are continuing to promote the joys of owning a beautiful piano. Shigeru Kawai is continuing to live within our heart in the heart of each employee and in the hearts of pianists and piano music lovers around the world. And in 2012, another evolution was made. Kawai s elite craftsmen made a major overhaul of the Shigeru Kawai grand piano, embodying the new essence of Kawai s technological developments. Kawai s long-standing philosophy will remain unchanged as they continue to evolve. Shigeru Kawai Shigeru Kawai was born on July 28, 1922, in Maisaka-cho, Shizuoka Prefecture. He joined Kawai Musical Instruments in 1946. In 1955, he succeeded Koichi Kawai as the company s president. As the descendant responsible for revitalizing the company, Shigeru dedicated himself to efforts such as expanding the company and completing the Ryuyo Factory. After serving as the company s president for 35 years, he became chairman in 1989. He passed away on August 20, 2006.
My love of pianos lifts my spirits when I create them. To me, creating sounds is an expression of myself. This has led to my love of pianos, and to my heartfelt desire that the pianos I work on will perform successfully. Tatsuya Murakami A sound loved by people all over the world When I was in Europe, I visited one music school in a rural town for tuning. One of the teachers at the school said to me, I like the sound of KAWAI pianos. I was impressed to discover that there are KAWAI fans all over the world. Shinji Kurisu All the pianos I bring into the world are unique. Although I continue to create many pianos every day, I see each of them as special I believe this is due to my respect for their owners and my love of the pianos. Kosuke Tanaka I cherish inspiration. I place the most importance on things that support this inspiration. Yutaka Nakao Continuous evolution is what piano building is all about. First I build a piano as specified. But I can never be satisfied with it. I continue to pursue originality and creativity in my quest for beauty. Michio Totsuka Our chief engineer tells us, To create good sound, be moved and impressed by something that touches your heart, and fall in love. Hidemi Okubo I am proud to be the first female MPA. Nozomi Suzuki Craftsmanship Pursuing For Excellence. What support the sounds produced by the Shigeru Kawai are the craftsmen who have dedicated their lives to build the world s finest pianos. Every step of the piano creation process is performed without urgency, as the craftsmen draw upon years of experience to achieve ultimate perfection. It is this carefulness toward making the ultimate note that enables our pianos to attract lovers of piano music around the world. The Ryuyo Factory : a workshop in the woods, where wisdom and knowledge of grand piano craftsmanship flourishes. When the Ryuyo Factory was built by Shigeru Kawai in 1980, it was one of the largest grand piano factories in the world. Within this optimal environment, the facilities for building piano, which the processes are performed in traditional handcrafting, and the Shigeru Kawai Research and Development Laboratory are established. Each piano must be handcrafted carefully - this belief, which has remained unchanged, is deeply rooted here. Quotes from the people who create our pianos I believe I have to work hard so that people who see my pianos several decades from now will say, This is a well-made instrument. (Kazuhisa Haga) During a business trip to Germany, I got lost while looking for the home of the customer I was delivering the Shigeru Kawai to. Although I was more than two hours late for my appointment, the customer welcomed me, saying, Thank you so much for coming all the way from Japan. (Nobumichi Suzuki) If a piano is broken, it can be replaced with a new one. But you, piano tuner, are irreplaceable. (Tsubasa Shiroyama) Keep everything tidy, organized, and clean. You can t do a good job unless you keep your environment clean. (Michio Takahashi) I believe I will surely experience outstanding results if I treat every single piano, every single pianist, every single customer, and every single overseas dealer with the spirit of Ichigo-ichie (Treasure each encounter, for it will never recur). (Naomi Hamaguchi)
Selling pianos that musicians will enjoy throughout their life. I think that what leads people to trust you is to keep learning and have an abundance of common sense. To do so, I act within the common sense and always have creative ideas. Yasuhiro Tanimoto Your life can be changed by a single piece of music. One customer said to me, I hope this piano will be the first and only piano of my life. Hiroshi Fukui When I was a freshman, I sold an upright piano to the family of a six-year-old child. When I delivered the piano to the family, I played Mendelssohn s Wedding March for the child. 20 years later, the child became a piano teacher and came to buy a grand piano. This customer was impressed by the piece that I played and decided to become a piano teacher. Takafumi Narisawa Whenever I talk to a customer, I remember the inspiration I felt when I heard the sound of the Shigeru Kawai for the first time. Takuro Yuge I want customers to enjoy feelings of fun, pleasure, and excitement-the feelings that human beings naturally have-as much as possible. I think that playing the piano and listening to piano music have a tremendous power to arouse these feelings. Tomohiro Ouchi Customers don t buy a piano, but they buy your personality. I have never forgotten these words from my supervisor. Hirokazu Nakajima One student who bought a piano became skillful enough to advance to the regional piano competition. I was very impressed when the student told me, I owe it to you for buying the piano that made me successful. Kyohei Hara KAWAI pianos are used in world-famous competitions. The place where highly-ranked pianists compete is also the place where the piano shows its true value. KAWAI pianos have been used in the world s most prestigious competitions, including the International Chopin Piano Competition and the International Tchaikovsky Competition. These pianos attract not only the audience, but attract pianists as well. The role of grand pianos is to deepen the culture of the piano. Through our pianos, KAWAI also plays a role in enhancing music culture. We wish to increase the number of music lovers by meeting customers and talking with them face to face at stores and music schools, and through our regularly-held concert activities. We are hoping for this to become a reality as we continue to put effort into these important social activities. Quotes from the people who deliver our pianos I still remember as I watched a piano being delivered, the family s kid saying to me with shining eyes, Thank you for bringing this piano. (Dai Takenaka) Every day I read and learn from books on music to improve my knowledge of music and the piano. (Akira Mizutani) I remember every Shigeru Kawai that I have sold. (Susumu Hirose)
A trusted ally, working alongside the performer to express the ultimate sound. I offer my skills to respond to customers needs, not to force my knowledge on customers. Tadashi Sadaoka No matter how experienced you are, the basics are important. Tuning starts with unison and ends with unison. Akitoshi Hirai Experience and effort are needed to become a skilled tuner. I always recommend for my customers to play on the grand pianos, regardless of their level of playing skill. That s because I believe that the appeal of the pianos can be found in grand pianos. In tuning, 100% perfect tuning doesn t exist. That s why we have to keep striving to keep our customers satisfied. Kenji Yamawaki Makoto Simosato Kinichi Masumoto I tuned a piano that had been left in a closed school and held a concert with it. Afterward, letter was sent to me that said, You tuned the piano very well. I was moved by their words. Norio Takashima MPA : Artists who create and refine sounds. Kawai s most esteemed sound creators are proudly known as Master Piano Artisans (MPA). They are the only individuals who can send Shigeru Kawai pianos out into the world. The title of MPA is a special qualification, bestowed upon the finest piano technicians - those who possess skill, dedication, and a passion for music. Even the smallest detailed sounds are tuned by hand. Only qualified tuners who have passed the rigorous tests are allowed to provide after-sales service to Shigeru Kawai owners. At KAWAI, we believe that a grand piano that satisfies the exact requirements of its owner can only be finished by the other expressionist: the piano tuner. Quotes from the people who tune our pianos I strive to respond to users requests as carefully and attentively as possible. (Dai Sasaki) The customer that I sold the first grand piano was an elementary school student. Now he is working as a piano instructor. I am proud of that. (Naomiki Sakagami) I once spent an entire day tuning a piano. The customer was glad, saying I m amazed how the sound of piano can drastically change. (Yuuki Kamata) I think it is entirely up to the tuner whether a piano will be good or bad. (Takeshi Okubo) You cannot compromise on skill. (Hirofumi Eguchi) One customer said to me, I buy KAWAI pianos because I want you to tune my pianos. (Masaharu Endo) I always keep in mind that I must work dutifully and never cut corners when tuning. Cutting corners will stop impove my skills. (Hitoshi Onodera)
The continued evolution of the Shigeru Kawai piano. The Shigeru Kawai piano draws upon the world s finest piano building techniques. The piano delivers the ultimate sound, a sound which could only be achieved through rigorous effort and by overcoming countless challenges. Soundboards that mature over long periods of time To produce the ideal, long-lasting sound quality, KAWAI firmly believes in the natural drying of wood used in its soundboard. This drying period can take several years, and gives the soundboard of the Shigeru Kawai superior acoustic characteristics, resulting in the clearest, highest quality sound. Keyboard action created through innovation Kawai s Millennium grand piano action includes action parts made of ABS-Carbon. This new composite material allows the keyboard action to meet pianists strict demands for accurate touch and repetition. Longer keys enhance control and expressiveness A key element of the major upgrade to the Shigeru Kawai is the use of longer keys. This gives the pianist a sufficient keystroke even when playing deep into the keyboard, resulting in enhanced ease of control and expressiveness. Hand-wound bass strings by skilled craftsmen The process of winding copper wire around the bass strings requires highly-refined skills. In this process, KAWAI s skilled craftsmen wind each wire carefully and precisely by hand to ensure the highest possible quality. A frame that supports the string tension of 20 tons The new Shigeru Kawai boasts greatly-improved frame rigidity, supporting a string tension of approximately 20 tons. This improvement enhances the piano s tuning stability, resulting in powerful sound with clear detail and spaciousness.
The gold standard in piano building The process of building the Shigeru Kawai includes a number of different steps, which are carried out through handcrafting. This allows each step to reflect the spirit of Kawai, and our original philosophy, that each piano should be built with care. Anechoic chamber The special surfaces of this room prevent audio reflections, allowing only the true sound from the piano to be measured. Each piano is repeatedly adjusted until the sound it produces is recognized to be that of a Shigeru Kawai. The place where Shigeru Kawai pianos are developed. All Shigeru Kawai pianos are built at the Ryuyo Factory in Shizuoka Prefecture. This factory was built by Shigeru Kawai in 1980 as a workshop in the woods and is designed to build the world s finest pianos, the philosophy of Koichi Kawai, the founder of KAWAI. KAWAI s ideas and enthusiasm for piano building are gathered here. Shigeru Kawai Research and Development Laboratory Bringing about piano evolution through innovation. This is the underlying belief at Kawai. At our laboratory we have improved the quality of our pianos by utilizing many bold ideas. Aiming to build the world s finest pianos the Ryuyo Factory is where revolutionary ideas become reality. Name plates for Shigeru Kawai owners Paying tribute to pianists throughout the world who have selected a Shigeru Kawai instrument, the Wall of Honor proudly displays brass name plates for every owner. In 1980, in his 25th year as President of Kawai Musical Instruments, Shigeru Kawai finally finished the sanctuary of his long-cherished desire. It was an environment surrounded by green, which he insisted on calling a place kobo (workshop). He thought it should be a place where all of Kawai s knowledge could be collected and where the skills of its craftsmen could be passed on to future generations. Shigeru s words - aiming to build the world s finest pianos are deeply rooted in the minds of every person involved in building Shigeru Kawai pianos. These instruments are delivered throughout the world, with the words Made in Ryuyo adorning each piano.
The historical lineage of Shigeru Kawai. In 1927 Koichi Kawai, the founder of Kawai Musical Instruments, released his first piano, the Showa Gata. The piano, which was sold at an extraordinary price at that time, reflected Koichi s desire not only for its superior performance, but also to allow a large number of people to experience the beauty of the instrument. In 1999, following numerous innovations, Kawai s craftsmen produced the Shigeru Kawai. This grand piano, which incorporated all of Kawai s artistic skill and know-how, continued to evolve until 2012, when the new Shigeru Kawai pianos were announced to a global audience. KG series This soft, gentle sound is the traditional KAWAI tone. Crystal piano A-gou CR-40 500-gou (No. 500) GS series No. 1 The first grand piano No. 800 The first full concert piano In contrast to the KAWAI tone in the KG series, this series features a brilliant tone. CA series This series features a lively, stereophonic sound. No.750 No.650 No.600 NX series This series developed from the concept of making the greatest strengths of the EX more accessible to players. RX series This series combines the concept for the NX with the quest for superior sound. It features a wide-ranging performance, with subtle clear notes evident in the gentle sound it delivers. The basic design of the RX-A was applied to this next-generation masterpiece. R-1 AF-10 This commemorative model incorporates the concept of the RX-A, and was created in the search for the ideal grand piano. SK series KAWAI put the best possible materials, skills, and sensitivity into this superior piano. It is a traditional EX model. The new SK series RX-A This masterpiece of craftsmanship was delivered to Chopin s birthplace. SK-EX KAWAI s new flagship model EX This is the ultimate concert grand piano, which was developed in pursuit of the world s finest piano. EX-L The history of KAWAI s grand pianos *The SK-EX is not for sale. 1927 The Kawai Musical Instrument Research Laboratory is established. 1927 The Showa Gata, the first piano from KAWAI (upright piano), is released. 1934 The Heidai Kinen-gou, a model commemorating the birth of the crown prince (the current Emperor) is manufactured. 1939 A piano is built for exhibition at the Paris Expo. 1977 The Kawai Music Shop Aoyama, the company s flagship store, opens in Omotesando. 1980 The Ryuyo Factory, a factory dedicated to producing grand pianos, is completed. 1985 KAWAI s EX grand piano is chosen as the official piano of the 11th International Chopin Piano Competition. 1997 The Ryuyo Factory obtains ISO 14001 certification for the first time as a piano manufacturer. 2006 The Kawai Music Shop Aoyama is renovated and reopened as Kawai Omotesando. 2000 Ingrid Fliter, who played the KAWAI EX on stage, wins second prize in the 14th International Chopin Piano Competition.
Paying tribute to Shigeru Kawai. The Shigeru Kawai has received lavish praise from many top pianists throughout the world. The flexibility that exist around the revolutionary image of this piano-this is what I share with the Shigeru Kawai, and is the source of my expression. The piano called the Shigeru Kawai is the culmination of what former President Shigeru Kawai pursued throughout his life, and symbolizes continuous innovation. To be a top-class pianist, you need to have a top-quality piano. I started to realize this when I encountered Shigeru Kawai at the International Chopin Piano Competition in 2005. I believe I can only aim for a higher level if I can receive new inspiration from the piano that can apply my own expressiveness. For this, I think the upgrade of the model is superb, especially in the bass section, which gives warmth and depth to the sound. Plus, the overall balance has improved, making this piano in greater presence. The sound is particularly good for music written by Brahms and Beethoven, as well as Chopin. Those pieces won t resonate with you at all unless the sound has a strong presence. With regard Shohei Sekimoto Shohei Sekimoto is a young virtuoso and leading musician in the 21st century. He won the Grand Prize at the PTNA Piano Competition and fourth prize at the 15th International Chopin Piano Competition. He has performed with many orchestras in Japan and overseas, including the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra and the English Chamber Orchestra. I own a Shigeru Kawai piano at my house, which I selected at the Kawai Europe Center in Krefeld because of its sound qualities and flexible action. The to touch, on which I place the greatest emphasis, I feel it has a strong presence that expands my range of expression. I feel a comfortable resilience from the keys, which wouldn t be possible if only lightness were sought. This exquisite resilience enables a wider range of expression. Thus, performance and expression change continuously through the mutual reactions between the pianist and the piano, and something new is created. This is what gives this piano the impression of flexibility. I believe it is these flexible ideas created through innovation that lead to the next expression. I want to keep re-creating myself along with the Shigeru Kawai. instrument is for me a reliable partner and it is always a new pleasure for me to play at home on a piano of such excellent quality! My father, Shigeru Kawai, used to say, Building a piano is like Formula One car race. In the world s greatest car race, results can only be achieved when a high-performance vehicle, outstanding driver, and excellent engineers all come together. In the same way, delivering the best piano performance is possible with the combination of a superb piano, a highly-talented pianist, and an experienced tuner. The initiatives my father pursued to achieve this goal included a European piano-tuning program, aimed at cultivating tuner for technical and artistic excellence, and building the Ryuyo Factory, exclusively for the production of grand pianos. In 1980, I was also involved in the construction project as head of the planning committee, with a special focus on the Gold standard of piano building and the establishment of the Shigeru Kawai Research and Development Laboratory. My father said that the laboratory and the handcrafting process is the origin of piano building at KAWAI, comparing them to Greenwich Mean Time and the International Prototype Meter stored at the Bureau of Weights and Measures in Paris. In other words, he meant that the standard of piano building at KAWAI exists here, and if we ever lose sight of our objective, we can go back to the basics by going there. At the Laboratory, we add refinements to every single piano by using the EX full concert piano as a symbolic presence. My father said, at the International Chopin Piano Competition in 1980, I will have a KAWAI piano played on that stage, and in 1985, the EX full concert piano was chosen as the official piano for the competition. I still remember how it felt to achieve one of our goals in building the world s finest piano. Toward this aim, we used the construction of the Ryuyo Factory as an opportunity to take on new challenges in piano building based on my father s ideas. As a result of these challenges, we reached to create the Shigeru Kawai, the culmination of what my father had pursued throughout his life in piano building. Since its release in 1999, this piano has been highly acclaimed by pianists and musicians around the world, and the new version has gone through another stage of evolution. When you play the new Shigeru Kawai, I believe you will experience its appeal. Stanislav Bunin Stanislav Bunin was only 19 years old when he won first prize at the 11th International Chopin Piano Competition in 1985. In this competition, he also won the Concerto Prize and the Bolognese Prize. When he came to Japan the following year, he enjoyed a high popularity that was unusual for a pianist. This was called the Bunin phenomenon. Since then, he has performed in many international music festivals, mainly in Europe. Kawai Musical Instruments Mfg. Co., Ltd. President Hirotaka KAWAI