— What do you consider important when designing the exterior of a Clavinova?

Generally when we say "exterior," people probably imagine the characteristics of an exterior appearance, the surface finish, for example. Of course, matching the product with the interior and making sure it will be the right size for use in a room are important, but first, a major premise is that a Clavinova is a musical instrument. Therefore, above all, consideration must be given to qualities that enable customers to use it reliably for a long time. One example is its performance characteristics. This is because the basic structure of a piano, the relationship of its keyboard and pedals for example, is subject to definite rules, and if the design deviates from these, it is difficult to play. Then there is also the perspective of safety. One of our important roles is to ensure safety by imagining all possible situations: preventing the danger of the piano being tipped over or the player's fingers being jammed in the keyboard cover. In addition, we respond to opinions we receive from other departments in order to create better pianos. There are desires which cannot be achieved simultaneously: a slim exterior appearance and a high capacity speaker box for example, but with finding ways to provide a higher degree of satisfaction to customers while they are using it as our first consideration, we seek the best possible answer to the question of how to achieve these and to what degree. We are totally committed to this quest.

— What kinds of issues gave you the biggest challenges and what innovations did you introduce in the design of the CLP-300 Series?

We made refined innovations to change the shape and specifications of the body. For example, how to incorporate the Internet Direct Connection function or the Tri-Amp System, and other newly added functions inside the interior without changing the body size. No matter how wonderful its functions, if it is too big to place in a room, it's useless. And when we set the position of the music rest, we consider points such as how to keep it from hiding the buttons on the operating panel from the player seated on the piano bench, and how to place it so it is easy to operate the piano. And the CLP-300 Series features a revised assembly method, but we made it so that while it remains as easy to assemble as previous models, anyone can accomplish it without difficulty. From start to finish, we resolved problems one at a time from the customer's point of view to complete the design drawings.

— When designing the CLP-S308PE and S306PE models, were there any special obstacles you faced simply because they are slim types?

Of course, including the parts required by a digital piano, and also achieving a quality design so the slimness is apparent at a glance, while maintaining the standard positions of the keyboard and pedals. The design image that the designers had at the beginning was certainly slim, but that alone would have prevented them from setting the pedal unit at the standard location. So they devised a design that would expand the front surface. In this way, we installed the pedals in the standard position while keeping it slim. Then when we considered the placement of parts, it seemed that we would be unable to accommodate the speaker, amplifier, and so on. The innovation we made to create this space concerned the key cover; we improved its movement to reduce the space required to place it inside the piano. We used experience and expertise accumulated through 25 years of building Clavinovas to be able to realize this while facing new challenges.

— What are the strong points of Yamaha's lustrous finish, which has been brought to perfection in these new Clavinovas?

Yamaha has developed excellent finishing technology for its acoustic pianos, which can also be used for digital pianos. Our finishing staff has extensive expertise, so they will not compromise, and they are committed to the Yamaha brand above all else. In fact, when the finish is applied very thickly and polished so it shines, the beauty of the wood is brought out to a certain degree. But even if this is done, after a certain amount of time, irregularities appear on the surface, it loses its luster, and its quality deteriorates. At Yamaha, from the panel processing stage (which is the foundation), we are determined to find ways to create a beautiful surface. The final surface quality is improved by continually managing the quality of the finishing during every step of the process. The key to the lustrous quality of Yamaha's finishes is how committed we are to beautifully finishing places which might otherwise be poorly done.

— Do you have anything else you wish to say?

Our first concern is how to satisfy our customers, and how they can use their Clavinova for a long time. There are interior qualities and design qualities, but we also design Clavinovas so we can provide comprehensive satisfaction that includes their sound, playability, safety, durability and other elements as a musical instrument. Not only those involved in development, but also our actual production staff build pianos with great care. Therefore, each Clavinova provides quality that will satisfy the customer. We are determined that anyone who buys a Clavinova can use it forever.

[ Interview took place in December 2008. ]