As part of our industry–academia joint research, we are conducting research and development on lacquered saxophones with Yanagisawa Wind Instruments Co., Ltd. It is a Tokyo-based manufacturer specializing in saxophones and is popular worldwide. It originally started as the theme for the graduation work of the student in charge (Yurie Akaiwa). However, even after graduating, she continued to research musical instruments made of a metal saxophone developed in the West with unique Japanese lacquer coating and decoration. Even after becoming a full-time employee of the company, I have continued to work on research, development, and production as a commissioned researcher at the Faculty of Arts and Design. The sound played is softer than the original and appears closer to that of a twisted woodwind instrument. However, we requested Professor Yoshihiro Kanno of Waseda University’s Faculty of Engineering to analyze the sound. Moreover, we collected data before and after painting to determine its significance as an instrument. I am also attempting to demonstrate its effectiveness. Recently, in addition to the development at our university, she has commissioned painting and decoration by lacquer
craftsmen in Hokuriku. The aim is to create even more attractive and appealing musical instruments.