Kawakami Genichi
| Birth Place | Toyonishi-mura, Hamana-gun (Tsunetake-cho, Higashi-ku) |
|---|---|
| Birth | 1912 |
| Death | 2002 |
Overview
Kawai Gen’ichi led the musical instrument manufacturer, Nippon Gakki (Yamaha), to produce motorcycles and founded Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.
Biography
Nippon Gakki produced propellers for airplanes during WWII. The fourth president of the company, Kawakami, decided to manufacture motorcycles with the machines used to make those. He sent engineers to Europe to study its mechanism.
The company released an auto bike, YA1, in 1955.
The bike earned popularity and a nick name, akatonbo (red dragonfly).
In the same year, the company showed its excellence also as a motorcycle manufacturer when its motorcycles won the first to fourth prize at a race, Asama Kōgen Race.
Reference
"Yamaha 100 Nen Shi” (100 Years History of Yamaha)