Yamaha Corporation ヤマハ株式会社

Yamaha's roots go back to 1887, when Torakusu Yamaha repaired a broken reed organ at a school in Hamamatsu and went on to build his own reed organs, laying the foundation for what became Nippon Gakki Co., Ltd. ('Japan Musical Instrument Co.') when it was formally incorporated in 1897. The company expanded into pianos and grew into one of the world's largest musical instrument makers over the following decades.

After World War II, company president Genichi Kawakami repurposed Yamaha's wartime metalworking expertise — previously used to make aircraft propellers — for motorcycle manufacturing, launching Yamaha's first motorcycle in 1955. That same year, the motorcycle business was spun off as a separately managed company, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd., which today operates independently of Yamaha Corporation, producing motorcycles, marine engines, and other vehicles. Nippon Gakki itself was renamed Yamaha Corporation in 1987, and it remains a leading maker of pianos, digital instruments, audio/visual equipment, and semiconductors, sharing the tuning-fork logo with its motorcycle sibling company.