Something new and a wooden bicycle

[harvey]

To continue with (my understanding of) the rest of the story...

Unlike Americans, it is quite typical for a Japanese employee to remain
with a company until retirement -- to "marry" the company, so to speak.
Koichi Kawai did something that is still frowned upon today, never mind
back then. He left the Yamaha company. He had some piano ideas that he
wanted to implement, including what he believed to be some improvements,
but couldn't push them through the existing corporate system. (Does this
sound like a familiar theme to anyone?) So, with a few loyal followers, he
departed and set about implementing those ideas independently.

Today, in addition to being the second largest in actual production, the
Kawai facilities are geared for and (capable of) out-producing other
facilities. (Does this imply any thoughts about subcontract work?) Also,
for domestic consumption, Kawai manufactures, and has retail stores, for
beautifully constructed, high-quality albeit expensive... wooden toys.



At 01:18 PM 9/12/98 -0500, you wrote:
>Upon his return to Japan he met this fellow named Koichi Kawai, who had
>successfully built a wooden bicycle.  The ingenuity of Kawai impressed
>Yamaha and he hired him to be in charge of building Yamaha's' pianos.  In
>1902 they built 2, in 1903 built 23, and in 1908 they built their first
>grand piano.  One of his pianos was sent  here to St. Louis to exhibit it
>at the Worlds Fair in 1904.  Alas, I have never seen anywhere a picture of
>this piano published, but he did receive an honorary prize for it.  
>	Torakuso died in 1916 and a great void came over the company.  Evidently
>by 1925 Koichi became dissatisfied and left to begin the Kawai Piano
>Company.  The rest is history.  Both firms have went on to be producers of
>the finer pianos in the world.


Jim Harvey, RPT
harvey@greenwood.net
________________________
 -- someone who's been in the field too long.