The true nature of an object has nothing to do with how "authentic" or "genuine" it appears. Something that seems outrageous makes perfect sense when you think about it-we then know it is capturing the true essence of the object. Design with integrity cannot be achieved without a deep understanding of tools, culture and people, as well as one's own unique perspective.

Traditional tools such as musical instruments that are deeply rooted in culture and possess a long history tend to evolve at a conservative pace. But even traditional objects must have seemed outrageous or beyond the pale when they were first created. Respecting and maintaining tradition also mean constantly exploring new possibilities.

Beauty is an extremely important element in design. The beauty of handcrafted objects, or a more modern beauty. A sense of presence that inspires the player. Beauty that captivates the audience. A elegant presence in space. A harmony of materials. The rhythm of form. Passion and silence. Line and surface. Color, mass and weight. We pursue beauty from every possible perspective.

A musical instrument is merely a tool for creating music; the player is always the main actor in a performance. That's why we believe that excessively conspicuous designs have no place in musical instruments. A slavish devotion to momentary trends is also undesirable. A musical instrument is an imperfect tool that is only perfected through the power of human creativity; an object that is incomplete, yet lies just short of completion. A design that never grows old even after long years of use-that's the sort of design we seek.

Something that grows in value the more it is used, or a tool that grows into your indispensable companion through long years of use-that is the kind of design we strive to achieve. Helping to create a society where people with a diversity of values recognize each other's individuality regardless of age, gender, nationality and ability to "Create 'Kando*' Together"-at Yamaha, that's what we believe the role of design should be.