Otamatones are strange instruments shaped like a musical eighth note invented in Japan that sound a bit like synthesizers. They are typically played with two hands, one to press the notes on its “stem” and the other two open and close the mouth on its “head.” It is advertised as being easy to pick up and play but difficult to master. In recent years, they have become rather popular online with the rise of Otamatone covers by TheRealSullyG and others on YouTube. However, especially given that they were invented in Japan, finding the history behind them and their creation requires a bit more of a deep dive.
Maywa Denki was an electric company owned by Hanachi Tosa. The company primarily produced vacuum tubes as a subcontract factory for Toshiba and Matsushita Electric, but the company went bankrupt and shut down due to the 1979 Oil Shock, a huge economic event with devastating effects. Fourteen years later, the name was reused by Tosa’s two sons, Masamichi and Nobumichi Tosa, as a design firm/art unit.
The two worked together on a series of three lines of products. Firstly, their “Naki” series, which are “nonsense objects” designed with a fish motif. Secondly, their “Edelweiss” series, more artistic creations but instead created with flower motifs. Thirdly, and perhaps most well known, their “Tsukuba” line, which included all of their various musical instrument inventions. The brothers performed many live shows with their instruments and inventions, creating several albums in the process.
In 2001, eight years after the founding of the art unit, Masamichi retired at the age of 35, leaving Nobumichi as the president of the company. Nobumichi continued to create artistic marvels and instruments. He earned various awards for his art and live performances, featuring in a number of expositions and events both in Japan and overseas.
2009 marked the birth of our titular hero, the Otamatone, from the creative hand of Nobumichi Tosa. The company started a new series called the “Voice Mechanics Series” with the Otamatone at its forefront. It was a near-immediate success and sold approximately 120,000 units domestically and internationally, winning itself a toy award in Japan in 2010.
Since the release of the note-shaped instrument, its success has only continued to peak. It began to catch the attention of more potential customers, especially with the popularity of Otamatone covers of pre-existing songs. The main performer of these covers, TheRealSullyG, has more than 800,000 subscribers and has inspired several other creators to follow in his example, creating their own songs with the instrument. Though its primary function is playing music, some artists also use it as a subject of photography. Today, Maywa Denki continues to release different variants of their original Otamatone in various sizes, colors, and branded characters. If you want to get your hands on one of these electronic oddities, most versions of the instrument can be found online at around $20. Whether you are a casual instrumentalist, a kid who wants to annoy their parents with its high-pitched “wah”s, or a collector of the weird, the Otamatone has something for everyone.
Much of this article was researched with the help of Google Translate, and as a result, some information may be inaccurate or mistranslated.
The Lighthouse 