OUT & ABOUT / Archives

Mar. 23, Tue.

-Hamamatsu City is located about halfway between Tokyo and Kyoto.
- Ryoichi Iwamoto is one of the few craftsmen who can build a piano from start to finish all by himself.
- Naniki's invention has opened up new possibilities for the guitar.
His instruments are highly respected among professional musicians around the world in a variety of genres, from classical to rock.

- City of Musical Craftsmanship -
On this edition of "OUT & ABOUT", our travelers Chihiro Yamanaka and JJ visit a city of musical craftsmanship -- Hamamatsu, in Shizuoka Prefecture.
Chihiro is a professional jazz pianist who's known for her knowledge of classical music and jazz. She's active around the world, especially in New York.

Hamamatsu is one of Japan's top productions. Japan's first domestically-produced piano was made by Torakusu Yamaha, a medical equipment repairman. For about 100 years since then, Hamamatsu's instrument industry has been thriving.
At the peak of the city's piano industry, the number of local makers reached 50, contributing greatly to the development of the local craft.

The instruments' inventor, Akio Naniki invents a new type of guitar. It does not resonate or amplify sound at all. The concept behind its development is completely different from that of a regular acoustic guitar. To ensure that the instrument produces rich, expressive sound, high-quality wood is used to make the neck.
The guitar is designed to give those who play it a natural feeling through their fingertips. The guitar's sensor picks up vibrations from the strings, and electronically converts those vibrations into sounds that are almost identical to those of an acoustic guitar. This mechanism helps produce great sound quality -- when heard through headphones or speakers; it sounds as good as music echoing in a concert hall.

Musical performances and festivals are held regularly at the city's many concert halls and even in front of Hamamatsu Station.
Visitors can also enjoy the Hamamatsu Museum of Musical Instruments and see how instruments are made at a number of local factories.

Travelers: Chihiro Yamanaka (jazz pianist) & JJ

[ACCESS]
Hamamatsu City can be reached by bullet train from Tokyo in about 90 minutes.