I found a marvelous video the other day about the history of Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd and I wanted to share the story.
Torakusu Yamaha established the company in 1887 as a piano and reed organ manufacturer in Hamamatsu, Japan.
But after World War II, Japan had little need for pianos. What they did need was cheap reliable transportation. Yamaha saw the needs of the market and began making motorcycles.
The motorcycle division became independent from the main company in 1955 and Yamaha Motors was born.
Yamaha's corporate philosophy is about "creating kando with products and services that exceed your expectations". Kando (感動) is a Japanese word describing how music and instruments interact with the human spirit. It roughly translates to "emotionally moving".
Who knew the world's largest manufacturer of musical instruments could also make really cool motorcycles?
Oh, and now you know why the Yamaha logo features 3 tuning forks. 👍
▶️ The Video
Yamaha Motorcycles - History (From 1955) | Full Documentary
*Sidenote: The first half of the video is about the history of the company. The second half focuses on motorcycle racing specifically.
Featured image source: pixabay
My 1986 Yamaha Virago XV1100
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