History
(As of February 2024)
| 1927 | Founder: Koichi Kawai founds the Kawai Musical Instrument Research Laboratory. Manufacture and sale of pianos begins. |
|---|---|
| 1928 | First KAWAI Grand Piano completed. |
| 1929 | Renamed Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Company. |
| 1930 | Manufacture of organs begins. |
| 1934 | Manufacture of harmonicas begins. |
| 1935 | Reorganized into a corporation. Renamed Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing General Partnership Co. with capital of 500,000 yen. |
| 1945〜1946 | Right after the war, begins construction of a new factory and production facilities, resumes production of harmonicas. |
| 1951 | Reorganized into a stock company.Renamed Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co., Ltd. with capital of 3.5 million yen. |
| 1953 | President Koichi Kawai receives the industry's first Medal with Blue Ribbon. |
| 1955 | Shigeru Kawai becomes president. |
| 1956 | Arai Factory constructed (Arai-cho, Hamana-gun, Shizuoka Prefecture, operated until 2003). Music education program launched. |
| 1960 | Manufacture of KAWAI digital organs begins. Maisaka Factory constructed. Capital increased to 1 billion yen. KAWAI monthly installment plan launched. Domestic sales strengthened, sales offices and branch offices opened in cities nationwide, first step taken toward a system of directly managed shops. |
| 1961 | Piano Tuning Technician Training School (currently Kawai Ongaku Gakuen) established. Capital increased to 2.4 billion yen. |
| 1962 | Capital increased to 3.6 billion yen. |
| 1963 | The KAWAI Piano Loan system launched. Kawai Music Association established to promote music culture. Kawai America Corporation (currently a consolidated subsidiary) established in Los Angeles, USA to develop the American market. |
| 1965 | Kawai Service Center Co., Ltd. established (currently absorbed into parent company.) |
| 1966 | Central Music Academy attached to Kawai Music School opened. |
| 1967 | Physical education program launched. |
| 1971 | Quick Service Station (QSS) established as an organization to connect the entire company with consumers and handle customer requests and complaints promptly. |
| 1972 | Total production reaches 500,000 pianos. Expands into housing equipment business. |
| 1973 | Kawai publishing division (publishing and sales of sheet music) launched. |
| 1975 | Manufacture and sale of educational and wooden toys begins. |
| 1976 | Irregular shaped rolling processing begins. Kawai Deutschland GmbH established in Haan, Germany (currently merged into Kawai Europe GmbH). |
| 1977 | Aoyama Shop opened (currently Kawai Omotesando). |
| 1978 | Total production reaches 1,000,000 pianos. |
| 1979 | Kawai Europe GmbH (currently a consolidated subsidiary) established in Haan, Germany (currently located in Krefeld). |
| 1980 | Ryuyo Factory (Iwata-shi, Shizuoka Prefecture) constructed as a factory specializing in grand pianos. Kawai Seimitsu Kinzoku Corporation (currently a consolidated subsidiary) established. |
| 1981 | EX full concert piano released. Kawai Australia Pty. Ltd. (currently a consolidated subsidiary) established in Sydney, Australia. |
| 1982 | Sale of IBM computers begins. The Sound Technology Foundation established (currently Kawai Sound Technology and Music Foundation). |
| 1985 | President Shigeru Kawai receives the Medal with Blue Ribbon. EX adopted as the official piano of Fryderyk Chopin International Piano Competition. Manufacture of digital pianos begins. Kawai Business Software Co., Ltd. (currently a consolidated subsidiary) established. |
| 1988 | Midi Music Center lnc. established in Chicago as the US production base for digital musical instruments, starts production and sale under the Lowrey brand. (Currently merged into Kawai America Corporation.) Piano production factory, Kawai America Manufacturing lnc. established in Lincolnton, US, begins producing upright pianos for North American market (operating until 2004). |
| 1989 | Japan Leisure Development Co., Ltd. (management rights transferred in 2003), Kawai Techno Center Co., Ltd. (currently merged with Kawai Business Software Co.,
Ltd.), and Kawai Acoustic System Co., Ltd. (currently a consolidated subsidiary) established. Kawai Asia Pte. Ltd. established in Singapore (dissolved in 2006). 1October: Hirotaka Kawai becomes president. Shigeru Kawai becomes chairman. |
| 1990 | KCP Co., Ltd. and Kawai Wood Co., Ltd. established (both currently merged with parent company). Total production reaches 2,000,000 pianos. |
| 1992 | Kawai Cosmos Co., Ltd. established (currently merged with parent company). Central Research Center completed as R&D facility in Miyakoda-cho, Hamamatsu-shi, Shizuoka Prefecture (currently Miyakoda Works). |
| 1993 | BPC Japan Co., Ltd. (currently merged with parent company) Kawai Music Planning Co., Ltd. established (dissolved in 2004). |
| 1994 | Kawai Seimitsu Kinzoku Co., Ltd. builds Miyakoda Factory. Chairman Shigeru Kawai receives Order of the Sacred Treasure, 3rd Class. |
| 1995 | Coating company acquired in Greer, US, renamed Kawai Finishing lnc. and starts coating pianos. (Dissolved in 2003) Partnership with Honoris Industry formed, production of musical instruments begins in Indonesia. |
| 1996 | Website launched. |
| 1997 | Hamamatsu Works of Kawai Seimitsu Kinzoku acquires ISO 9002 certification. Ryuyo Factory making grand pianos acquires ISO 14001 certification, the international standard for environmental management. |
| 1998 | Maisaka Factory making upright pianos acquires lSO 14001, the international standard for environmental management. Piano Recycling Co., Ltd. established (currently merged with parent company). Kawai Hyperwood Co., Ltd. (currently a consolidated subsidiary) established. |
| 1999 | Shigeru Kawai series of premium grand pianos launched. |
| 2001 | SK-EX premium full concert piano completed. Piano production company PT. Kawai Indonesia (currently a consolidated subsidiary) established in Karawang, West Java Province, Indonesia. |
| 2002 | Sales company Kawai Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. established in Shanghai, China (currently a consolidated subsidiary, Kawai Musical Instruments (China) located in Beijing, China). |
| 2004 | Capital increased to 4.6 billion yen. Kawai Seimitsu Kinzoku Co., Ltd. expands ISO 9001 certification, the international standard for quality control, throughout the company. Piano parts manufacturing subsidiary Kawai Musical Instruments (Ningbo) Co., Ltd. (currently a consolidated subsidiary) established in Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, China. |
| 2005 | Ryuyo Factory making grand pianos acquires ISO 9001 certification. |
| 2006 | Capital increased to 6.6 billion yen. PT. Kawai Indonesia expands Factory No.1 and acquires Factory No.2. Upright piano assembly process at Maisaka Factory transferred to Ryuyo Factory. Flagship Aoyama shop completely renovated and reopened as Kawai Omotesando. |
| 2007 | Corporate design revamped for 80th anniversary. PT. Kawai Indonesia establishes Factory No.3, begins production of digital musical instruments. First Kawai Music School in China opens in Shanghai. Nagoya shop completely renovated and reopened as a flagship, Kawai Nagoya. |
| 2008 | Kawai Musical Instruments (Ningbo) Co., Ltd. acquires ISO 9001 certification. PT. Kawai Indonesia Factory No.3 acquires ISO 9001 certification. |
| 2009 | Domestic piano production processes integrated at Ryuyo Factory. Expansion of Hamamatsu Factory of Kawai Seimitsu Kinzoku Co., Ltd. completed. Domestic sales organization consolidated from 6 branches to 3 branches. PT. Kawai Indonesia Factories No.1 and No.2 acquires ISO 9001 certification. |
| 2010 | President Hirotaka Kawai receives the Commander’s Cross from the Republic of Poland. |
| 2011 | Sales company PT. Kawai Music Indonesia (currently a consolidated subsidiary) established in Tangerang, Banten Province, Indonesia. PT. Kawai Indonesia Factories No.1 and No.2 acquires ISO 14001 certification. |
| 2012 | Shigeru Kawai series of premium grand pianos updated. EX-L full concert grand piano released. Digital piano producer Shanghai Kawai Electronics Co., Ltd. (currently a consolidated subsidiary) established in Shanghai, China. Kawai Musical Instruments (Ningbo) Co., Ltd. acquires ISO 14001 certification. Iron casting manufacturer and sales company Kawai Casting Co., Ltd. established in Hakui-shi, Ishikawa Prefecture. |
| 2013 | Umeda shop completely renovated and reopened as a flagship, Kawai Umeda. PT. Kawai Music School Indonesia established in Tangerang, Banten Province, Indonesia. |
| 2014 | Zen-On Music Co., Ltd. acquired as a subsidiary. Kawai Piano Russia (currently a consolidated subsidiary) was established in Moscow, Russia. |
| 2015 | June: Hirotaka Kawai becomes chairman and president. Capital and business alliance with Gakken Holdings Co., Ltd. Capital increased to 7.1 billion yen. First overseas directly managed shop opened in Houston, Texas. |
| 2016 | Sales company Kawai Musical Instruments (China) Co., Ltd. established in Beijing, China (currently a consolidated subsidiary, Kawai Musical Instruments (China)). |
| 2017 | Capital and business alliance with Parsons Music Corporation. Shigeru Kawai International Piano Competition established on company’s 90th anniversary. Held the first competition. Directly managed store opened in Dallas, Texas, US. |
| 2018 | Sales company Kawai France SAS established in Courbevoie, France (currently a consolidated subsidiary located in Paris). Signed a distributor agreement with Rogers (church organ manufacturer) in the US, began selling Rogers church organs in Japan. |
| 2023 | Poland Branch of Kawai Europe GmbH established in Warsaw, Poland. |
| 2024 | February: Kentaro Kawai becomes president. |
