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Maywa Denki - Otamatone

2 minuti

Masamichi and Nobumichi Tosa

Otamatone creator Maywa Denki is an art unit formed in

1993 by two brothers, Masamichi and Nobumichi Tosa.
Art unit is named after a company their father Maywa
Denki Ltd in Ako city.
Company produced accessories of screens for Toshiba
and Matsushita Elektric. After while company grew into a
medium-sized at peak. Factory doors were closed in
1979 due to the oil-shock. After 14 years was the name
resurrected by Tosa’s sons Nobumichi and Masamichi.
Since then they attempt to get their activities beyond the
classical art, describing their works as “products,” and
their live performances as “product demonstrations”. A
typical Maywa Denki´s element is wearing blue work
uniforms of Japanese electric stores.

Maywa Denki have three product lines:

“Naki” series – nonsense objects done in a fish motif,
“Edelweiss” – arty objects done in a flower motif; and
“Tsukuba” – their line of musical instruments. Their
onstage musical instruments include one that resembles
the mating of a xylophone and a helicopter, a robot
rigged to play guitar, and various strange percussion
instruments.
Maywa Denki made their first album in 1997 for Sony. In
2001, Masamichi retired at the age of 35, and succeeded
his brother as president of the company.