Okay, here's a "story" that was told to me by a piano salesman!

Can someone tell if this "story" is TRUE or FALSE?

Once Upon a Time there was a piano builder in Japan called "Yamaha"! There were two builders that were either relatives or best friends. The other piano designer was "Kawai"! (For use of a better name, just keep reading on and you'll see that Kawai. . . ) well, Yamaha got in a fight with his best friend "Kawai (not Kawai back then, but a guy of sorts) and they parted.

The one guy was great at making Yamahas function well, and his friend was great at making the piano have a beautiful "romantic" sound.

Anyways, they got in a fight, and the first guy who worked for Yamaha got to keep the name, but the other guy left Yamaha and started his OWN COMPANY "Kawai"! So Yamaha lost the guy who could make Yamaha have a romantic sound, and Kawai had to go out on his own and make a new name?

So the Kawai guy has his own build in Japan which is right next to Yamaha! But they don't talk anymore!

So that's how Yamaha and Kawai got to be enemies!

So . . . anyone one know what really happened! Or was this salesman just telling me stories?

Here is a version of the story that seems reasonably true:
http://www.answers.com/topic/kawai-musical-instruments-manufacturing-co-ltd

This is roughly the same story that I have heard.

The version I heard was without the fight, just a former Yamaha employee thought he could do the same as Mr. Yamaha.

As selling an identical product is not ideal, it seemed better to sell a different product, different sound, more mellow, more European.

As for being enemies... I think they all have their own fans

As I was typing Chatnoir has came up with the real and correct story

....in America.

Sorry I couldn't resist becuase the music is so great.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jj5Xczethmw

My favorite movie of all time.

Why don't people just simply sell the pianos on the merits of each instrument? (This is a rhetorical question.)

And, who says the manufacturers are "enemies"...competitors, yes. But why do people insist they are enemies?

Makes a better story!

Ken

Enni mention of Ennio is worth following up on!

Broker,

Who's your role model? Noodles or Fat Moe?

The creme pastry vignette is one of the great moments in cinematic history , but I doubt if even Leone could have made much out of Yamaha vs. Kawai. Bootleg Yamahas and Kawais would be a different story.

... in Mexico.

"Are you a Mexican or a Mexicant?"

... in China.

A wonderful Jet Li/Tsui Hark kung fu flick, loads of fun and great martial arts/stunts (thanks in part to Woo-ping Yuen of Matrix fame (in the US anyway)).

Both Hark and Rodriguez have Austin ties.

I think it was the opposite, Yamaha (also a last name) was a worker for Kawai (small business by that time) and he learnt from him and then started by his own, Nippon Gakki, latter Yamaha Co.

I read once where a couple of upper level managers with Kawai got mad and left Kawai and stared the Tokai music company and started building Tokai pianos!

Also read that Lee Iacocca got mad at Ford and went to work for Chrysler. It happens I guess.

Rick