Atsushi Yamauchi: Czech PETROF Pianos

2020/06/12

The Czech Republic in Central Europe is so famous as a "land of music" that it is often said, "To be Czech is to be a musician." I manage the official import agency for PETROF, a long-established piano manufacturer founded in 1864 that is beloved in the Czech Republic. As a tuner myself, my creed is to carefully "prep up" (adjust for shipping) every imported piano before delivery.

The reason I fell in love with PETROF is the "warmth of the sound." With many manufacturing processes still left to the manual labor of craftsmen, it is an instrument where one can enjoy the gentle, traditional tone of wood. Another attraction is the ability to casually enjoy the wood-grain exteriors and sophisticated designs. Today, the fan base is growing, ranging from young children just starting lessons to adults such as performers and teachers.

The path to this point has not been smooth sailing. My job hunting during the "employment ice age" was met with setbacks, such as my preferred companies canceling new graduate recruitment. Aspiring to be a piano tuner—a secret dream of mine—I lived and worked part-time on a farm after graduation. I operated tractors in the fields and helped harvest crops to raise the tuition fees myself.

Mastering tuning techniques was also a series of struggles. Daily training of my hearing and fingertips was essential, and after a year of apprenticeship in a workshop, I finally began to see results. My days were spent repeating precise manual tasks—adjusting and repairing piano keys and actions—until they became second nature. For the restoration of vintage instruments, I even used chisels and planes like a carpenter. I accumulated a wide range of practical experience to become a full-fledged technician.

I was fortunate to meet mentor tuners at the piano repair workshop where I started as a trainee and at the luxury imported piano dealer where I worked next, allowing me to encounter instruments from all times and places over ten years. It was during this time that I heard PETROF was looking for an importer, and I visited the Czech Republic for the first time in 2012 for negotiations. Captivated by the Czech culture with its scent of medieval Europe and the warm welcome from PETROF, I finally opened the world's only specialty store in Shirokanedai, Minato City, the following year.

Currently, in addition to PETROF sales and maintenance, I am developing branding in Japan, such as use in concerts and recordings, while I myself am challenging myself to learn the Czech language. I am striving to promote Central European culture in cooperation with the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Japan.

Keeping Yukichi Fukuzawa's words of "independence and self-respect" in my heart, I intend to continue to devote myself further so that I may one day deliver the Czech tone to all Keio University alumni and Keio students.