Piano Day

What Is Piano Day?

Every July 6th is "Piano Day" (ピアノの日, Piano no Hi) in Japan. On July 6, 1823, German physician and naturalist Philipp Franz von Siebold (フィリップ・フランツ・フォン・シーボルト) brought a piano to Japan — reportedly the first piano to arrive on Japanese soil. Siebold, who was stationed at Nagasaki's Dejima as a physician for the Dutch East India Company, brought the instrument as part of his personal effects. The presence of a Western keyboard instrument at Japan's most significant point of contact with the outside world introduced piano music to Japan nearly half a century before the Meiji era's broader Western music adoption.

The Piano in Japan's Musical History

Siebold's 1823 piano was an extraordinary curiosity in Edo-period Japan, where Western music was essentially unknown. The piano's eventual adoption in Japan — accelerating through the Meiji era's embrace of Western culture — transformed Japanese musical education and professional music. Japan developed a passionate relationship with the piano: by the late 20th century, Japan had the world's largest market for upright pianos, and Japanese pianists regularly won top prizes at international competitions including the Chopin, Leeds, and Van Cliburn competitions.

Japanese Piano Manufacturing

Japan developed world-class piano manufacturing through companies including Yamaha (ヤマハ) and Kawai (カワイ) — both founded in the late 19th century and now among the world's most respected piano makers. Yamaha's Hamamatsu manufacturing complex and Kawai's production facilities produce instruments used by professional performers and students worldwide. Japan's piano manufacturing expertise extends to electronic keyboards and digital pianos, where Japanese companies lead global production.

Fun Facts

• Yamaha's origins: Yamaha Corporation (ヤマハ株式会社) was founded in 1887 by Torakusu Yamaha to repair and manufacture Western musical instruments — beginning with harmoniums before expanding to pianos. The same company now produces motorcycles, electronic instruments, and marine equipment alongside its musical instrument heritage.
• Piano boom and bust: Japan's piano market peaked in the late 1970s-1980s with millions of families purchasing upright pianos for children's music education. The market subsequently contracted significantly as electronic keyboards offered more affordable alternatives and cultural priorities shifted, leaving Japan with millions of unused pianos in homes and the challenge of piano disposal or donation.