:Yamaha Corporation

{{About|the music equipment manufacturer|the mobility company that was spun off in 1955|Yamaha Motor Company}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Yamaha Corporation

| logo = Yamaha logo.svg

| logo_size = 250px

| image = Yamaha_Corporation.jpg

| image_size = 250px

| image_caption = Yamaha Corporation's headquarters in Hamamatsu, Japan

| native_name = {{Native name|ja|ヤマハ株式会社}}

| native_name_lang =

| romanized_name = Yamaha kabushiki gaisha

| type = Public

| former_name = Nippon Gakki Co., Ltd. (1887–1987)

| traded_as = {{plainlist|

{{TYO|7951}}
Nikkei 225 component}}

| industry =

| foundation = {{Start date and age|1887|10|12|p=yes}}

| founder = Torakusu Yamaha

| location = 10-1, Nakazawacho, Naka-ku

| location_city = Hamamatsu, Shizuoka

| location_country = Japan

| area_served = Worldwide

| key_people = {{ill|Takuya Nakata|jp|中田卓也}} (president and Representative Executive Officer)

| products = Musical instruments, audio equipment

| revenue = {{profit}} {{JP¥|link=yes}}408.2 billion (2017)[https://www.yamaha.com/en/ir/publications/pdf/an-2017e.pdf Annual Report 2017] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180306202754/https://www.yamaha.com/en/ir/publications/pdf/an-2017e.pdf|date=6 March 2018}}

| operating_income = {{increase}} {{JP¥|link=yes}}44.3 billion (2017){{vn|date=March 2017}}

| net_income = {{increase}} {{JP¥|link=yes}}46.7 billion (2017){{vn|date=March 2017}}

| num_employees = 28,112 (including temporary employees) (2017)

| subsid = {{collapsible list|Ampeg|Bösendorfer|Deagan|Line 6|Steinberg|Yamaha Artist Services|Yamaha Drums|Yamaha Entertainment Group|Yamaha Pro Audio||Yamaha Guitar Group, Inc.||Yamaha Music Europe GmbH}}

| homepage = {{url|https://www.yamaha.com/en/|yamaha.com}}

| footnotes = {{cite web|url=https://www.yamaha.com/en/about/profile/|title=Yamaha Corporate Profile}}{{cite web|url=https://www.yamaha.com/en/about/locations/group-companies-worldwide|title=Yamaha Group Companies}}

}}

{{Nihongo|Yamaha Corporation|ヤマハ株式会社|Yamaha Kabushiki gaisha|{{IPAc-en|ˈ|j|ɑː|m|ə|h|ɑː}}; {{IPA|ja|jamaha}}}} is a Japanese multinational musical instrument and audio equipment manufacturer.

It is one of the constituents of Nikkei 225 and is the world's largest musical instrument manufacturing company.{{cite book |last1=Fosler-Lussier |first1=Danielle |title=Music on the Move |date=2020 |publisher=University of Michigan Press |page=123}}

The former motorcycle division was established in 1955 as Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd., which started as an affiliated company but has been spun-off as its own independent company.

History

File:Torakusu-yamaha.jpg, founder of Yamaha Corporation]]

{{Nihongo|Nippon Gakki Co., Ltd.|日本楽器製造株式会社|Nihon Gakki Seizō Kabushiki gaisha|{{literal translation|Japan Musical Instrument Manufacture}}}} was established in 1887 as a reed organ manufacturer by Torakusu Yamaha ({{Lang|ja|山葉寅楠}}) in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, and was incorporated on 12 October 1897. In 1900, the company manufactured the first piano to be made in Japan, and its first grand piano two years later. In 1987, 100 years after the first reed organ built by Yamaha, the company was renamed Yamaha Corporation in honor of its founder.{{cite book |last1=Lenhoff |first1=Alan |last2=Robertson |first2=David |title=Classic Keys: Keyboard sounds that launched rock music |date=2019 |publisher=University of North Texas Press |location=Denton, Texas, USA |isbn=9781574417760|page=337}} The company's origins as a musical instrument manufacturer are still reflected today in the group's logo—a trio of interlocking tuning forks.{{cite web |title=Yamaha Corporate Information |url=http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/brand/index.html |website=Yamaha Global |publisher=Yamaha Corporation |access-date=31 December 2006 |archive-date=12 December 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061212215032/http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/brand/index.html |url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.yamaha.com/en/about/history/|title=Brand and History - About Us - Yamaha Corporation|website=Yamaha.com|publisher=Yamaha|language=en-US|access-date=1 July 2018}}

After World War II, company president Genichi Kawakami repurposed the remains of the company's war-time production machinery and the company's expertise in metallurgical technologies to the manufacture of motorcycles. The YA-1 (AKA Akatombo, the "Red Dragonfly"), of which 125 were built in the first year of production (1954), was named in honour of the founder. It was a 125cc, single cylinder, two-stroke street bike patterned after the German DKW RT 125 (which the British munitions firm, BSA, had also copied in the post-war era and manufactured as the Bantam and Harley-Davidson as the Hummer). In 1955,{{cite web |title=Yamaha Motor |url=https://www.forbes.com/companies/yamaha-motor/ |work=Forbes Global 2000 List}} the success of the YA-1 resulted in the founding of Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd., splitting the motorcycle division from the company. Also, in 1954 the Yamaha Music School was founded.

Yamaha has grown into the world's largest manufacturer of musical instruments (including pianos, "silent" pianos, drums, guitars, brass instruments, woodwinds, violins, violas, cellos, and vibraphones), and a leading manufacturer of semiconductors, audio/visual, computer-related products, sporting goods, home appliances, specialty metals, and industrial robots.

{{cite web

| title = Yamaha Corporate History

| url = http://usa.yamaha.com/about_yamaha/corporate_information/

| publisher = Yamaha Corporation of America & Yamaha Corporation

| access-date = 26 April 2011

}} Yamaha released the Yamaha CS-80 in 1977.

In 1983, Yamaha made the first commercially successful digital synthesizer, the Yamaha DX7.

In 1988, Yamaha shipped the world's first CD recorder.{{cite magazine|last1=Verna|first1=Paul|title=CD-R Enjoys Massive Growth In A Wide Range Of Markets|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SQ0EAAAAMBAJ&q=%22first+CD+recorder%22+yamaha&pg=PA52|access-date=21 March 2018|magazine=Billboard|date=3 April 1999}} Yamaha purchased Sequential Circuits in 1988.

{{cite magazine

| author = Gordon Reid

| title = PROPHET LINE — Sequential Circuits: Prophet Synthesizers 5 & 10 (Retro)

| url = http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar99/articles/retroprophet.htm

| url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040329041809/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar99/articles/retroprophet.htm|archive-date = 29 March 2004

| magazine = Sound On Sound

| date = March 1999

| quote = 1989-1999 In 1988, Yamaha bought the rights and assets of SCI, and these rights included the employment contracts of many of the company's development team, including Dave Smith himself. … Then, in 1989, the team moved to Korg, where they designed the now-classic Wavestations. …

}} It bought a majority stake (51%) of competitor Korg in 1987, which was bought out by Korg in 1993.

{{cite magazine

| author = Gordon Reid

| title = 40 Years Of Gear — The History Of Korg: Part 2

| url = http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/nov02/articles/korganniversary2.asp

| url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20031119024215/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/nov02/articles/korganniversary2.asp|archive-date = 19 November 2003

| magazine = Sound On Sound

| date = November 2002

| quote = 1987 … However, in 1987, the relationship took another huge step forward when Yamaha bought a controlling interest in Korg Inc, effectively making it a subsidiary."; "1993 … Thanks to the products developed using the funds from Yamaha's cash injection in 1987, the previous five years had been very successful, and Tsutomu Katoh now had some cash at his disposal. In fact, he had enough to buy out the majority of Yamaha's share in Korg. So he did.

}}

File:Yamaha Ginza.jpg

In the late 1990s, Yamaha released a series of portable battery operated keyboards under the PSS and the PSR range of keyboards. The Yamaha PSS-14 and PSS-15 keyboards were upgrades to the Yamaha PSS-7 with short demo songs, short selectable phrases, and sound effects."PSS-14 Portable Keyboard". Yamaha.

In 2002, Yamaha closed its archery product business that was started in 1959. Six archers in five different Olympic Games won gold medals using their products.

{{cite web

| title = YAMAHA to Close Archery Products Business

| date = 1 February 2002

| url = http://www.global.yamaha.com/news/2002/20020201.html

| publisher = Yamaha Corporation

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040116235552/http://www.global.yamaha.com/news/2002/20020201.html

| archive-date = 16 January 2004

| access-date = 30 April 2008

}}

In January 2005, it acquired German audio software manufacturer Steinberg from Pinnacle Systems. In July 2007, Yamaha bought out the minority shareholding of the Kemble family in Yamaha-Kemble Music (UK) Ltd, Yamaha's UK import and musical instrument and professional audio equipment sales division. It was renamed Yamaha Music U.K. Ltd in late 2007.{{cite web

| date = 10 July 2007

| title = Cancellation of Joint Venture Contracts for Sales Subsidiaries in U.K. and Spain

| url = http://www.global.yamaha.com/news/2007/20070710.html

| work = Yamaha Global website

| access-date = 23 January 2008

| archive-date = 17 November 2007

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071117034511/http://www.global.yamaha.com/news/2007/20070710.html

| url-status = dead

}} Kemble & Co. Ltd, the UK piano sales & manufacturing arm, was unaffected.{{cite news

|last = Barrett

|first = Andy

|date = 10 July 2007

|title = Yamaha buys out Kemble family

|url = http://www.mi-pro.co.uk/news/28011/Yamaha-buys-out-Kemble-family

|work = MI Pro

|access-date = 23 January 2008

|archive-date = 9 June 2008

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080609042756/http://www.mi-pro.co.uk/news/28011/Yamaha-buys-out-Kemble-family

|url-status = dead

}}

On 20 December 2007, Yamaha made an agreement with the Austrian Bank BAWAG PSK Gruppe to purchase all the shares of Bösendorfer,

{{cite web |last=Jean Chen |first=Shu-Ching |title=Yamaha Outplays Local Competition For Bösendorfer |url=https://www.forbes.com/2007/11/30/bosendorfer-bawag-yamaha-markets-equity-cx_jc_1130markets04.html |website=Forbes |date=30 November 2007 |access-date=5 December 2023 }} with Yamaha intending to continue manufacturing at the Bösendorfer facilities in Austria.{{cite web |title=Yamaha Reaches Basic Agreement with Austrian Bank to Purchase All Shares of Bösendorfer |date=20 December 2007 |url=http://www.global.yamaha.com/news/2007/20071220a.html |website=Yamaha Global |access-date=23 January 2008 |archive-date=7 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080107191758/http://www.global.yamaha.com/news/2007/20071220a.html |url-status=dead }} The acquisition was announced on 28 January 2008, after the NAMM Show in Los Angeles. As of 1 February 2008, Bösendorfer Klavierfabrik GmbH operates as a subsidiary of Yamaha Corporation.

{{cite web |title=Bosendorfer Klavierfabrik GmbH |date=3 March 2008 |url=http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=1554618 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080609043940/http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=1554618 |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 June 2008 |periodical=Business Week }}

Yamaha electronics have proven to be successful, popular, and respected products. For example, the Yamaha YPG-625 was awarded "Keyboard of the Year" and "Product of the Year" in 2007 from The Music and Sound Retailer magazine.{{cite web

| title = YPG-625 - 88-key Weighted Action Portable Grand

| url = http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/CDA/ContentDetail/ModelSeriesDetail/0,,CNTID%25253D65229%252526CTID%25253D205200,00.html

| publisher = Yamha Corporation of America & Yamaha Corporation

| access-date = 24 January 2009

| archive-date = 14 May 2010

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100514092017/http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/CDA/ContentDetail/ModelSeriesDetail/0%2C%2CCNTID%3D65229%26CTID%3D205200%2C00.html

| url-status = dead

}} Other noteworthy Yamaha electronics include the SHS-10 Keytar, a consumer-priced keytar which offered MIDI output features normally found on much more expensive keyboards.

Business segments

Yamaha is segmented into three primary business domains of musical instruments, audio equipment, and others (industrial machinery and components, etc.){{cite web|url=https://www.yamaha.com/en/about/pdf/corporate_profile_2023_en.pdf|title=Yamaha Corporate Profile 2023|date=2023|publisher=Yamaha Corporate Communications Division}}

Musical Instruments – the manufacture and sales of pianos; digital musical instruments; wind, string, and percussion instruments; and other music-related activities.
Pianos
Digital Musical Instruments
Winds, Strings/Percussion
Guitars
Audio Equipment – the manufacture and sales of audio products, professional audio equipment, information and telecommunication equipment, and certain other products.
Consumer
Yamaha Home Audio
B2B
Yamaha Pro Audio
Yamaha Unified Communications, Inc.

Industrial Machinery and Components (IMC) & others – electronic devices business, automobile interior wood components, factory automation (FA) equipment, golf products and a resort business.

= Living room business =

The company began by manufacturing high-end furniture based on its expertise in wood processing for piano manufacturing, and was spun off into a separate company in 1991 with the establishment of YAMAHA Livingtec (YLT). The company manufactured and sold unit baths, system kitchens, and other products. In 1992, the company decided to stop selling system furniture, and after narrowing down its product lineup, it terminated orders and production in 2005 March.[https://www.yamaha-living.co.jp/news/20041224/index.html Notice Regarding Discontinuation of Production of Yamaha Furniture Products](24 December 2004, Yamaha Livingtec News Release)

In 2010, Yamaha sold its 85.1% stake in YLT to Japan Industrial Partners and three foreign investment funds as part of a restructuring. At this point, the YAMAHA brand and company name continued, but the company essentially withdrew from management. Subsequently, YLT conducted a MBO of the investments of Yamaha and the investment funds, and the company name was changed as of 1 October 2013[https://www.yamaha-living.co.jp/news/20130628/index.html Notice of Capital Structure and Trade Name Change](28 June 2013, Yamaha Livingtec News Release)[https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASDD280I0_Y3A620C1TJ1000/ Yamaha Livingtec MBOs under the name Toklas] (28 June 2013, Nihon Keizai Shimbun) and withdrew from the housing equipment business in both name and reality.

=Subsidiaries=

Other companies in the Yamaha Corporation group include:

Ampeg
L. Bösendorfer Klavierfabrik GmbH
Line 6
Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH
Yamaha Artist Services, Inc.
Yamaha Corporation of America
Yamaha Drums
Yamaha Fine Technologies Co., Ltd.
Yamaha Music Communications Co., Ltd.
Yamaha Music (Asia) Private Limited
Yamaha Music Europe GmbH
Yamaha Music Australia Pty. Ltd.
Yamaha Guitar Group, Inc
Yamaha Pro Audio
Yamaha Unified Communications, Inc.

Corporate mission

{{Nihongo|Kandō|感動}} is a Japanese word used by Yamaha Corporation to describe its corporate mission. {{Lang|ja-latn|Kandō}} is the sensation of profound excitement and gratification derived from experiencing supreme quality and performance.{{cite web

| title = Yamaha Corporate Mission

| url = http://www.yamaha-motor.eu/uk/corporate/mission.aspx

| publisher = Yamaha Motor UK

| access-date = 25 May 2015

| archive-date = 25 May 2015

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150525161431/http://www.yamaha-motor.eu/uk/corporate/mission.aspx

| url-status = dead

}} Some reasonable English equivalents are "emotionally touching" or "emotionally moving".

Yamaha Music Foundation

Yamaha Corporation is widely known for its music teaching program that began in 1954. In a continuation of that program, the Yamaha Music Foundation was established by the authority of the Japanese Ministry of Education for the purpose of promoting music education and music popularization In 1966.{{cite web |title=Yamaha Music Foundation History |url=http://www.yamaha-mf.or.jp/english/about/history.html |publisher=Yamaha Music Foundation }}

Products

Yamaha expanded into many diverse businesses and product groups. The first venture into each major category is listed below.

{{cite web

| title = Yamaha History

| url = http://www.yamaha.com/about_yamaha/corporate/history/

| work = Corporate Information, Global website

| publisher = Yamaha Corporation

| access-date = 13 November 2012

}}

1887 Reed organs
1900 Pianos
1903 Furniture
1914 Harmonicas
1922 Audio equipment (crank phonograph first)
1942 Guitars
1955 Motorcycles – made by Yamaha Motor Company, which started as an affiliated company of Nippon Gakki (Yamaha Corporation's name at the time) but is a separate company today
1959 Sporting goods (starting with archery)
1959 Music schools
1961 Metal alloys
1965 Band instruments (trumpet first)
1967 Drums
1971 Semiconductors
2000 Yamaha Music Communications (record company)
2001 Yamaha Entertainment Group (record company)

File:Yamaha piano (cropped).jpg|Yamaha Grand Piano

File:YamahaKeyboard-2.jpg|Yamaha Keyboard

File:Yamaha Club Custom Drumset Swirl Black - front.jpg|Yamaha Drumset

File:Yamaha YAS-280 20190713a.jpg|Yamaha Alto Saxophone

File:Yamaha guitars, NAMM 2011.jpg|A collection of Yamaha Guitars

File:Yamaha THR5A Acoustic Guitar Amp.jpg|Yamaha Acoustic Guitar Amp

File:Mikser cyfrowy DM2000V2k firmy Yamaha.jpg|Yamaha Mixing Console

File:Yamaha hifi, IFA 2018 (P1070120crop).jpg|Yamaha Hi-Fi

File:Yamaha ymf744b v.jpg|Yamaha Sound Chip

File:Yamaha RX-V685 20190127a.jpg|Yamaha AV Receiver

File:NS 1000M.JPG|Yamaha Speakers

File:DVD Player Yamaha S540.JPG|Yamaha DVD Player

=== Synthesizers and samplers ===

Yamaha announced the singing synthesizer Vocaloid for the first time at the German fair Musikmesse on 5–9 March 2003.{{cite web

| title = New Yamaha VOCALOID Singing Synthesis Software Generates Superb Vocals on a PC

| date = 4 March 2003

| url = http://www.allbusiness.com/manufacturing/miscellaneous-mfg-musical-instrument/5721117-1.html

| work = Business Wire

| publisher = AllBusiness.com

| access-date = 25 October 2010

}}{{Dead link|date=April 2025}}

Yamaha began the sale and production of Vocaloid applications, starting with Lily which was later sold via Internet Co., Ltd.'s website. Their involvement continued with the VY series, with VY1 being the first, released in deluxe and standard editions on 1 September 2010.

{{cite web

|date=13 August 2010

|title=新型ボーカロイド「VY1」公開です!

|trans-title=New Model Vocaloid "VY1" Presentation!

|language=ja

|url=http://blog.vocaloidstore.com/2010/08/vy1-1.html

|publisher=Bplats

|access-date=13 August 2010

|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717230038/http://blog.vocaloidstore.com/2010/08/vy1-1.html

|archive-date=17 July 2011

}} The VY series is a series designed to be a high quality product for professional musicians. The series is also designed with the intention to set a new standard for the Vocaloids for having no face, sex, or set voice, but are designed to complete any song.

{{cite web

| first = Yuka | last = Okada

| date = 13 August 2010

| title = キャラクターなしのVOCALOID「VY1」初のヤマハ製、9月発売

| trans-title = "VY1", a Vocaloid With No Character, First Yamaha-Made, Sold in September

| url = http://www.itmedia.co.jp/news/articles/1008/13/news005.html

| language = ja

| publisher = IT Media

| access-date = 5 September 2010

}} VY1 has a new approach to how the software handled the database of samples and improved the performance of the Vocaloid 2 engine.

Yamaha announced a version of the Vocaloid 2 software for the iPhone and iPad, which exhibited at the Y2 Autumn 2010 Digital Content Expo in Japan.

{{cite web

| date = 14 October 2010

| title = デジタルコンテンツEXPO：VOCALOIDがiPad／iPhoneアプリにヤマハが開発

| trans-title = Digital Content Expo: Vocaloid Becomes iPad/iPhone Applications. Yamaha Develops Those

| url = http://www.itmedia.co.jp/news/articles/1010/14/news093.html

| language = ja

| publisher = IT Media

| access-date = 17 October 2010

}}

{{cite web

| title = Y2 Autumn 2010 {{!}} Digital Content Expo 2010

| url = http://www.dcexpo.jp/programs/y2/

| language = ja

| publisher = Digital Content Expo

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101007200048/http://www.dcexpo.jp/programs/y2/

| archive-date = 7 October 2010

| access-date = 17 October 2010

}} Later, this version of the software was released using the VY1 voice.

{{cite web

| title = iVOCALOID-VY1

| url = https://itunes.apple.com/jp/app/ivocaloid-vy1/id396081265?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101217225559/http://itunes.apple.com/jp/app/ivocaloid-vy1/id396081265?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

| url-status = dead

| archive-date = 17 December 2010

| language = ja

| publisher = Apple Inc.

| access-date = 13 December 2010

}}

{{cite web

| title = iVOCALOID-VY1t

| url = https://itunes.apple.com/jp/app/ivocaloid-vy1t/id396082845?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101218050148/http://itunes.apple.com/jp/app/ivocaloid-vy1t/id396082845?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

| url-status = dead

| archive-date = 18 December 2010

| language = ja

| publisher = Apple Inc.

| access-date = 13 December 2010

}} VY2 will also be released for this version of the software.

{{cite web

| date = 15 April 2011

| first = Kōya | last = Matsuo

| url = http://www.itmedia.co.jp/news/articles/1104/15/news084.html

| title = コードネームは「勇馬」ヤマハ純正のイケメンボカロ「VY2」の話を聞いてきた

| trans-title = Codename Is "Yūma". I Heard the Story of the Yamaha Pure Cool Vocalo "VY2"

| language = ja

| publisher = IT Media

| access-date = 28 April 2011

}}

Factory locations

In Japan, the company maintains three factories for musical instrument manufacture, engine and various vehicle manufacture (motorcycles and marine products), with all factories located in Shizuoka Prefecture.