Group 1 - Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. was established on July 1, 1955, marking its 70th anniversary this year [2] - The company originated from Nippon Gakki Co., Ltd. (now Yamaha Corporation), a prominent musical instrument manufacturer [2] - The founder, Kenichi Kawakami, emphasized the importance of preparing for new business ventures during periods of rising performance [3][6] Group 2 - Kenichi Kawakami, the fourth president of Nippon Gakki, decided to enter the motorcycle business to explore new industries [6] - The choice of motorcycles was influenced by the potential to efficiently utilize existing production equipment and the growing demand for motorcycles during a period of change in Japan's licensing system [6][8] - Yamaha aimed to create top-quality products that could compete globally, rather than following local manufacturers [8] Group 3 - The first product, YA-1, was developed with a small team and was inspired by the German DKW RT125 motorcycle [10] - YA-1 featured several innovations, including a four-speed transmission and a unique kickstarter design, tailored for Japan's hilly terrain [10] - The motorcycle gained immediate recognition by winning the third Mount Fuji Race shortly after the company's establishment [12] Group 4 - YA-1 was launched in January 1955, and the motorcycle division was separated to form Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. in July of the same year [13] - Despite being a newcomer, Yamaha achieved remarkable success in its first year, selling 11,000 units of YA-1, which was priced at 138,000 yen during a time when the average starting salary was around 10,000 yen [13]