 My name is Ittoku Kawai. I was born on March 18, 1954, and studied orchestral music at Senzokugakuen University in Japan. My instrument is the trumpet. After graduating from university in 1977, I joined a Japanese trading firm. As showroom manager for this company for nearly 20 years, I oversaw the repair of wind instruments and managed the sale of reeds. |
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I was also fortunate to meet and discuss issues of concern with many top-flight performers. Many clarinetists would tell me that they were generally dissatisfied with their cane reeds. They sought more consistent reeds of a higher timbre. I always wondered why reed quality did not improve, even after I communicated the performers' concerns to the major reed manufacturers. I even suggested that our company work to improve reeds but product development of this type fell outside the scope of our business. |
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The first step was to embark upon a thorough study of cane reeds.I conducted scientific analysis at Kanagawa Industrial Technology Research Institute in Japan. We looked at the basic structure of cane, and the form and construction reeds. We analyzed waveforms in order to discover what constitutes a “good” (clear- sounding, resilient, responsive) reed. After thoroughly researching all brands of commercially available cane reeds, I developed what I felt was a superior design profile. It actually took two years to produce this optimal design. |
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I experimented with vast array of materials but none met my criteria. Then I came across a new material that combined wood pulp and resin. I used this material to produce a prototype reed that had an excellent basic timbre, far better than anything else we had tested. Temperature and humidity levels, as well as mixing ratios, were delicate issues with the new material. In order to commence development in earnest, I entered into a joint-venture arrangement with the material manufacturer. Today, I am proud to state that we have acquired a patent for our innovative method of kneading bamboo using state-of-the-art technology. |
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A reed tip is very thin. In our design, it had to be 0.1 mm. Our mold manufacturer, Kimura Industry Co. Ltd. in Japan, informed me that anything less than 0.6 mm was impossible to achieve with currently available technology. I thus began to work with Kimura to refine the technology of injection molding, which ultimately resulted in our overcoming this impasse. |
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It is also my personal history spanning more than 30 years of my professional life. Today, I express profound joy that our product is available to the worldwide clarinet community. I offer my heartfelt gratitude to the many people involved in the product's development. I am now proud to share with you the result of many years of dedicated research. |
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Founder |
