Newsletter : Looking Back on Yamaha Motor's Beginnings 70 Years Ago --A Musical Instrument Manufacturer Building Motorcycles?--

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. was founded on July 1, 1955, making this year the 70th anniversary of our founding. Yamaha Motor's story began with Nippon Gakki (today's Yamaha Corporation), one of Japan's leading manufacturers of musical instruments. As a company with a long history and one that was growing by leaps and bounds even at the time, the question on many people's minds was, "Why would a musical instrument company enter the motorcycle business?" This month, we introduce the background to that decision and our founder, KAWAKAMI, Genichi.

■A Latecomer's Challenge: World-Class Is the Standard

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. has its roots in Nippon Gakki Co., Ltd. (today's Yamaha Corporation), a musical instrument manufacturer founded in 1897 after getting started in the industry a decade earlier in 1887. KAWAKAMI, Genichi (1912-2002) was the company's fourth president, and he believed that it was the responsibility of company leadership to explore future business opportunities and create new avenues for work. Based on that belief, he decided to enter the motorcycle business as a new enterprise alongside the company's musical instruments.

　After researching and considering the possibilities for various new businesses, Kawakami chose motorcycles for several reasons. One was making effective use of the machining tools owned by Nippon Gakki. During WWII, the company had developed and manufactured aircraft propellers, but the machinery had been confiscated by the Occupation Forces after the war and left dormant, so putting the tools to peacetime use was one motivating factor. Also, Japan's vehicle licensing system was undergoing transformative changes at the time, and demand for motorcycles as a means of transportation was expected to grow.
　At the time, there were already some 180 motorcycle manufacturers in Japan, but despite being a latecomer to the space, Nippon Gakki did not make the technological capabilities of leading domestic brands as the standard to meet. Rather, the company set its sights on the world, with Kawakami declaring, "It's not a product if it isn't world-class," and "If you're going to do something, be the best." It marked the beginning of a challenge by a fledgling new business holding great ambitions and its eyes on the world stage.

■The YA-1 and Yamaha Motor are Born

The 125cc YA-1 was based on was the patent-free RT125 model from West German manufacturer DKW. While the YA-1 faithfully reproduced much of the basic design of the RT125, the YA-1's engineers were determined to exceed the original in many ways. For example, the transmission was given four gears instead of three to better suit Japan's hilly topography, a primary kickstarter was adopted for easier use, and the gearshift pedal and kickstarter pedal were designed to use the same axis in a unique arrangement.
　The two-tone maroon and ivory coloring was another defining trait of the YA-1. At the time, most motorcycles in Japan were utility-focused and transported people and goods, so dark colors that hid dirt were mainstream. So the slim chassis and bright colors of the YA-1 greatly contrasted with the colorless cityscapes that still bore the scars of war, earning it the nickname Akatombo ("red dragonfly").

　The YA-1 was officially released in January 1955, but Yamaha Motor itself was founded on July 1 that same year by spinning off the motorcycle divisions at Nippon Gakki and creating a new, independent company. In its birth year, Yamaha Motor dominated the top spots in Japan's biggest races, and despite being among the newest motorcycle manufacturers, the company's name and reputation quickly spread across the country. At a time when the starting salary for a college graduate was approximately 10,000 yen, the YA-1's price of 138,000 yen made it a very expensive machine. Nevertheless, it became a hit, selling a total of 11,000 units over its three years of production.
When Nippon Gakki first entered the motorcycle business, there was both surprise and disappointment. We have statements on record of how 1950s Japan reacted to the news: "A musical instrument maker built a motorcycle? Does the exhaust sing do, re, mi, fa?" "Your fingers are clean when you play the piano, so why would you go and get them all dirty with oil?" Seventy years later, a small company that began less than 100 employees has grown into a global enterprise with over 54,000 employees and operations in more than 180 countries and territories. On this year's Yamaha Day-July 1 and October 12, the founding dates of Yamaha Motor and Yamaha Corporation-I would like to once again reflect on Kawakami-san's foresight and the challenges those that inherited his vision before us faced.

MATSUO, Kaoru