Takuya Nakata, President and CEO, Yamaha Corporation

2023.10.11

Realizing a richer and more fulfilling life for people all over the world

President and CEO of Yamaha Corporation　Takuya Nakata　(Takuya Nakata)

■ Profile
Born in Gifu Prefecture in 1958. After graduating from the Faculty of Law at Keio University, he joined Nippon Gakki Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (now Yamaha Corporation) in 1981. After serving as head of the PA/DMI division, executive director, and president of the American subsidiary, he was appointed representative director and president in 2013. He has been president and representative executive director since 2017.

Yamaha Corporation is so beloved by music players around the world that when people think of musical instruments, they think of Yamaha. We spoke to Takuya Nakata, Representative Executive President and CEO, who has supported Yamaha since he joined the company, about the appeal of Yamaha and his thoughts on customers.

I was crazy about music when I was a student. I was in a band in high school. When I became a university student, I started making my own music using a synthesizer. I could have continued with the band, but I was deeply moved by Isao Tomita's performance. I wanted to try making music myself, and that's what got me started on the synthesizer.

Since I was a child, I loved making things, so I wanted to work for a manufacturer, and so I started job hunting. Rather than wanting to work at something I loved, I thought that life would be more interesting if I worked in a field that I was interested in, so I still remember choosing Yamaha from among the many companies available. I joined Yamaha because I loved music, but in my 20s I was involved in new businesses such as computers and credit cards. Taking on new challenges allows you to become a leader in that field. There were some challenges, but I'm glad I was able to be involved in new businesses.

I also had the opportunity to serve as president of a sales company in the United States. Although the work is essentially the same in both Japan and the United States, I remember struggling a bit because the local people's cultures and backgrounds were different from ours. There were also many things I only understood once I was there, and many things I wanted to understand but couldn't. This made it difficult at times, but now, as I run the company as president, I feel that my experience in the United States is useful in my work.

■ Connecting the times with Yamaha technology

I think our company is rich in technical capabilities. Many general musical instrument manufacturers specialize in making one type of instrument. However, Yamaha is not a specialist; we manufacture a wide range of instruments. When Yamaha was founded, it mainly made organs, but has gradually expanded its range to include pianos, wind instruments, and guitars.

Furthermore, our company has been one that values sustainability since its founding, and currently,Sustainable KeyboardWe are also working on prototyping new instruments that are packed with Yamaha's technology and passion for "sustainable music." Musical instruments are made from a variety of woods. Wood is a finite resource. We thought about what we could do to use wood in a sustainable way, and came up with this sustainable keyboard as a prototype. We prototyped it using unused wood that was generated in the production of various musical instruments. We believe that utilizing our technological capabilities to create products without wasting wood is very valuable.

■Bringing the joy of music and instruments to children around the world

In order to allow more children around the world to experience the joy of musical instruments and music,School Project" initiative. Through this initiative, we partner with schools and educational institutions in emerging countries to create an environment where children can experience musical instruments such as keyboards and recorders. When I visited a school in Indonesia, I saw the children having fun and the happy expressions on their parents' faces, and it really hit home the significance of this project. As of the end of March 2023, more than 2 million children in seven countries have already had the opportunity to experience musical instruments. This initiative will not generate immediate revenue, but it is one that will have an impact 10 or 20 years from now, and it makes me very happy and encouraged to see the smiles on the children's faces.

■ The “ambition” necessary for a job you appreciate

I feel very grateful that Yamaha's business allows us to bring more smiles to people's faces the more we work. I would like to continue to develop our business based on the technology and sensibility we have cultivated with "sound" and "music" as our starting point, so that people all over the world can live fulfilling lives. Our business leads to people's happiness. I am truly grateful for this.

Furthermore, while doing such valuable work, there are five keywords (the Yamaha Way) that colleagues at the Yamaha Group hold dear. These are "ambition, sincerity, initiative, challenge, and persistence." Of these five, the keyword "ambition" is particularly important when it comes to work. You will encounter difficulties and obstacles in the course of your work. At such times, the stronger your desire to "work and do things this way," the more that desire will serve as the driving force that will enable you to overcome them. This is why colleagues at the Yamaha Group value these aspirations, and I hope to continue working with colleagues like these in the future.

■Message to students

I hope you will cherish your own curiosity and become interested in many different things. And once you become interested, take action immediately. You may not always be successful. However, as the saying goes, "If you try, you can do it, if you don't try, you can't do it," and you won't succeed unless you take action. Also, trying new things may lead you to discover something that suits you. And it's just as important to stay positive. Especially when times are tough, I hope you will keep your head up and take on many challenges.

Supplement:

■The prototype sustainable keyboard is on display at the Yamaha Ginza store for a limited time.
The second installment of the special exhibition "Musical Instrument Tree" will be held at the Yamaha Ginza store, showcasing two types of "sustainable keyboards."
https://www.yamaha.com/ja/news_release/2023/23053101/

■For more information about the school project, click here
https://www.yamaha.com/ja/about/initiatives/school_project/

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on October 24, 2023 by Waka Watanabe, a first-year student at International Christian University