The name Kawai is synonymous with quality, but you won’t be the first person to question the difference between ‘Shigeru Kawai’ and simply ‘Kawai’.
Principally, Kawai is a family name, stemming from the original master piano maker, Koichi Kawai.
All pianos crafted by this now world-renowned brand carry the Kawai name as a proud hallmark of quality. However, it is only the elite grand pianos that also bear the title of ‘Shigeru’.
When Koichi sadly passed in 1955, his son, Shigeru (hence the name), continued in the pursuit of musical perfection, which gave rise to the Shigeru Kawai piano collection.