The unknown history of Japanese Giant Yamaha

What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the name Yamaha? Probably an image of sleek, sporty motorcycles. But did you know that many people around the world recognize Yamaha solely as a musical instrument manufacturing company?  For more than half a century, Yamaha has been doing business with great success in two completely different industries. This has been possible only because of Yamaha’s spirit of manufacturing world-class products from the very beginning.

Yamaha’s History:

This dual business strategy of music and motorcycles requires a review of Yamaha’s history from two different perspectives. Namely:
Yamaha Corporation
Yamaha Motors

Yamaha Corporation:
The name Yamaha actually comes from its founder, Torakusu Yamaha. He was a reed organ manufacturer and watchmaker. Mr. Yamaha lived in a remote part of Japan. Once, a hospital in that area needed a sound organ for treatment. But there was no technician to do this work. Then they requested Mr. Yamaha to do the job. After four months of hard work, Mr. Yamaha was able to create a perfectly tuned organ and it is said that Mr. Yamaha had to carry this organ himself on his shoulder across a mountain to the hospital as he couldn’t find any vehicle. Mr. Yamaha’s dedication to making good products later helped him build one of the most important companies in Japan.

After making this organ, he turned his attention to music. He realized that he could market his product as a musical instrument by tuning it a bit more. Around 1900, Yamaha was the first to make pianos in Japan. Then in the 1940s, music education became compulsory in Japan. As a result, the sales of Yamaha’s musical instruments also increased dramatically. This is how Yamaha Corporation started its journey.

Today, Yamaha Corporation is the world’s largest musical instrument manufacturing company. According to 2017 figures, their revenue was around two billion dollars.


Yamaha motors:
The second world war devastated Japan’s economy and Yamaha was affected too. At that time during the war Yamaha used to make aircraft propeller for the Japanese Army. Japan’s loss in the year brought economical struggle to Yamaha. Then they shifted their focus in manufacturing general vehicles for people using their previous experience of manufacturing aircraft propellers. Yamaha motors then separated from Yamaha corporation in 1955 and started their journey on their own.


Yamaha’s first motorcycle:
After realising the potent future of motorized vehicles Yamaha started manufacturing motorcycles in 1955. At that time there were approximately 200 motorcycle brands in the Japanese market. It was actually Yamaha that entered a bit late in the market. Their first motorcycle was Yamaha YA-1 (125cc, 2-stroke, single-cylinder, street bike) which had the nickname “The red dragonfly”. Yamaha’s first motorcycle proved to be a master class product in the local market. At first it was only sold in Japan. This motorcycle made headlines in the industry when it won the first two races it participated.

Yamaha from 1955-2000:
Yamaha YA-1 winning the biggest race in Japan in it’s debut race was a big thing for the company’s future. The name Yamaha gained a lot of Buzz around the industry.  From 1955 to 2000 Yamaha’s journey can be summed up in one word: Expansion.

Yamaha opened it’s first office outside japan on Mexico in 1958. A few years later Yamaha opened Yamaha international corporation at America. And in 1963 Yamaha’s “pearl-india” Started it’s Venture in India.In the very next year Yamaha won the World GP road race in 250 cc both as rider and manufacturer. They started their business in Brazil In 1970 and Canada in 1973.

Yamaha afterwards started making various other products. Like: their very first golf car YG292, an industrial robot named ET1250,  personal watercraft, Gas hip pump and racing cart model  RC100 etc. 

Yamaha was focused about the quality of their products from the very first beginning. Yamaha motors Founding president Genichi Kawakami said it perfectly. He said,
“It’s not a product, if it’s not world-class”


Yamaha Motors in the 21st Century:
In this century, Yamaha Motor Corporation (YMC) made significant advances in various fields, including biotechnology and sports. In 2006 this company established YMMWJ in Indonesia. In 2013, Yamaha’s brand slogan was unveiled which is “Revs your heart”.  This year alone, the company’s outboard motor production exceeded ten million.  In 2019, Yamaha Motor Robotics Holdings Company was established. 

Along with their top class products, In this century Yamaha also got involved in some social responsibility activities as one of the largest motorcycle brands in the world. 

Yamaha on Social Responsibility:
Yamaha has always brought quality products keeping in mind different categories of people.  For example,
In 2002, Yamaha introduced the Passol electric commuter which was specially manufactured for women. 

Yamaha also manufactures wheelchairs for people with special needs.  In 2015, they founded Yamaha Motors Mirai, which aimed to employ people with special needs in the workplace.

In addition, Yamaha made the Yamaha Motor Group Environmental Plan 2050 in 2018 to achieve carbon neutrality considering global warming.  The plan aims to reduce carbon emissions by 90% by 2050.



Current status and financial conditions:

Yamaha Motors is currently one of the largest motorcycle companies in the world in terms of sales and revenue.  Yamaha currently operates in more than 200 countries and territories around the world.  After entering Europe in 1961, Yamaha is doing business with pride in more than 40 European countries.
According to Yamaha Factbook, the current capital of Yamaha Motors is around 782.73 million USD.


Currently there are about 52 thousand employees under this company.  There are about 27 subsidiaries under Yamaha.
Last year the worldwide demand for motorcycles was 49.5 million.  Yamaha alone met about 4.7 million or about 10% of this demand alone.  Of these 4.7 million, 82% were sold in Asia.  The matter will be more clear if we see the picture of Bangladesh.

Japanese, Indian, Chinese and domestic brands of good quality motorcycles are available in Bangladesh.  Yamaha is the first choice of riders in the competitive segment like 150 cc despite so much competition.  In 2022, more than two and a half lakh units of motorcycles were sold in Bangladesh in the 150 cc segment.  Among them, about 25 percent market share was held by Yamaha. 


This company, which started as a musical instrument manufacturer, today manufactures motorcycles, scooters, electrically power-assisted bicycles, boats, sailboats, personal watercraft, pools, utility boats, fishing boats, outboard motors,all-terrain vehicles, recreational off-highway vehicles, racing kart engines, golf cars, multi-purpose engines, generators, water pumps, snowmobiles, small snow blowers, automobile engines,  surface mounters, intelligent machinery, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, industrial-use unmanned aircraft, electric manufactures wheelchairs, helmets and many other products.  And each of their products are in the market leading position in their respective fields.