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Otamatone
Zev

5-7 minuti

Maywa Denki is a unique group of Japanese musicians,

artists and toy-makers. This bizarre collective of brilliant
minds is led by Nobumichi Tosa. Maywa Denki produces
an eclectic array of over-engineered electronics,
mechanical instruments and musical devices, and
they’ve created the Otamatone. This adorable cartoon-
like electronic instrument resembles a musical note with
eight-note flag and cheerful face. The Otamatone is
available in two sizes, small and jumbo, and comes in a
variety of popular colors, including white and basic
black. The Otamatone produced a nasal tone from a
simple electronic oscillator and is played by sliding one
finger up and down the instrument’s neck to hit specific
musical notes. The performer squeezes the ‘mouth’ of
the musical note open and closed to control volume,
pitch and tone, producing all types of quirky sounds.
Instruments do not typically function in this manner, but
by squeezing the ‘mouth’ of the Otamatone we are able
to simulate the shapes commonly made by the human
mouth and tongue. This creates a shift in the dimension
of the sound, not unlike that produced while playing
woodwind and brass instruments.

Each musical instrument Tosa designs is called a

'product’. These whimsical gadgets are formally
presented by Maywa Denki as part of a company
‘product demonstration’; a live musical performance
where the company president Nobumichi Tosa and his
employees play the instrument while wearing pale blue,
matching jumpsuits. These typical work uniforms from
Japanese electric stores are designed to symbolize mid-
level enterprise that once powered the economy during
its growth period. 

The Otamatone is currently mass-produced by the toy

company Cube Works and sold as merchandise online.
The Otamatone is a combination of art, invention and the
always intriguing Japanese entertainment culture. Co-
creator Nobumichi Tosa calls these elaborate creations

“…nonsense machines: mechanical objects that may

or may not serve some useful purpose, but achieve
that purpose in absurd and impractical ways.” -
Nobumichi Tosa (weirdestband, September 11, 2012) 

Maywa Denki likes to take quirky ideas and develop them

into innovative contraptions. Since its founding in 1993,
company policy is to create art first and commercial
products with consumer appeal, second. Maywa Denki
has also imagined an entire product line of musical
instruments called Tsukuba. Tsukuba is a collection of
absurdly elaborate inventions like a set of six guitars
played via a pedal organ and a ‘rhythm-making machine’
best described as a series of on/off switches attached
to a turntable worn as a keytar. It also includes an
instrument designed to punch bubble wrap and a voice
vibrator you attach to your throat. Tsukuba is inspired by
non-traditional elements; objects one would not typically
associate with music-making. Maywa Denki reimagines
existing instruments and transform them into something
completely new and insanely playful.
A high value of animism is placed on the design of
Otamatone. It is meant to showcase a personality of its
own; essentially awakening and ‘coming alive’ whilst
being performed. This multi-media art project is
undoubtedly Maywa Denki’s most famous creation. In
Japan, the Otamatone is believed to have healing
powers. By selling these types of ‘products’ Japanese
culture is exposed to the artwork, bringing happiness
and joy to their community, only adding to its wide-
spread popularity and mass appeal. Nobumichi Tosa
wanted to develop products for the everyday consumer,
not just those who participate in the ‘high culture’ of art.
The shape of the singing toy is inspired by that of the
musical eighth note. It also resembles a ‘otama’ which
means ‘ladle’ in Japanese. Otamatone evokes a desire
within the consumer, a need to hold, interact and engage
with the musical device.

“It started from thinking about the strangeness of the

whole idea of ‘voice.’ The mechanism of phonation is
extremely mysterious if you try to capture it as an
instrument. Voice has the power to capture people’s
hearts in an instant. If you hear someone crying it
grabs you, physically, and when you hear someone
singing your chest kind of shivers – that’s they mystery
of voice. So I kind of spun those interests around in my
head for a while, then I tried a few different things and
‘Otamatone’ was what I came up with.” Nobumichi
Tosa (Ignition). 

In 1978 toy-maker Mattel released the Magical, Musical

Thing; a cross between a keyboard and electric guitar.
Similar to the Otamatone it came with a color coded and
numbered note charts so that musicians of any/all skill
levels could perform a perfect melody. It featured a 4040
CMOS hex converter chip, 25-note scale sound circuit
and 9v battery to power the portable device. 

The Magical, Musical Thing was created by Franklin

Eventoff, the inventor of the force-sensing resistor. This
electronic musical instrument quickly became one of the
most iconic toys from the 1980s. Not unlike the
Otamatone, Magical, Musical Thing is played by moving
one finger up and down the instrument’s neck to hit
specific musical notes; however, the Otamatone offers
additional performance controls for volume, pitch and
tone, generating a unique sound by each individual
musical performer. 
otamatone.com

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.
otamatone.com

Maywa Denki - continuance - Otamatone

2-3 minuti

Maywa Denki concerts

After Nobumichi Tosa took over as President after his

brother Masamichi Tosa, he started developing new
series called “Edelweiss”. This was a project, which
involves a number of musical devices, but these are
altogether more elaborate.  Edelweiss project brought
him to join a big exhibition in Paris and London.
For a while he was located in England. Also the English
phrase “Nonsense Machines” seems to have been
officially adopted. Because a lot of Maywa Denki’s
contrivance are balancing between art, desing or
comercial products. Most of Maywa Denki’s products are
musical instruments. And how better to showcase their
product line than in live concerts. And these concerts are
exactly what makes this company so unique, original
and inconsistent. You can see not only musical
instruments but also you will meet the robots like Punch
kun,Renda chan and Seamoons, sub characters such as
Sava-O and Poodles and fun people like accountant
Wono-san, Laborers and Yankee (Japanese teen gangs)
Maywa Denki. Also own incredible musical instruments
transform these concerts into crazy shows, because
instruments like for example their last innovation
“otamatone” create really unusual musical creations and
perfectly fit into their funny crazy style. Otamatone like
small pretty pet designed as a tipical Japanese toy
vocals the sounds which you´ve never heard before.
Maywa Denki company has been invited to the Expo,
“Human being & Robot” held in October 2003 in Paris.
This company is as much about art as it is about
producing commercial products, but all Maywa Denki´s
products were born as an easy-to-play toy for everybody,
which provide the customers with a dream of  “life with
Maywa Denki”.

Nobumichi Tosa conjuring incredible inventions