Sales of musical instruments increasing during pandemic
18 October, 2020
Musical instruments in Japan have flown off the shelves in recent months as more persons spend time socially distancing in the home through the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Instruments saw as easier to learn, including the ukulele and guitar, are available best, according to music shops. Both saw sales double weighed against the same period this past year.
Some novices espouse the soothing aftereffect of a live instrument's sound to greatly help manage pandemic-related stress. Much more serious musicians, meanwhile, are shelling out on soundproofing rooms to play with their heart's content.
The ukulele has seen sales grow fastest, gaining in popularity, especially among young women, according to Yamano Music, which operates 40 shops mainly in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
With models for beginners priced in the 10,000 yen range, sales of the Hawaiian string instrument increased 2.10 times between June and August, weighed against the same period last year. Acoustic guitars were a close runner-up with a 2.08-fold rise.
Kiwaya Ukuleles, a top manufacturer of ukuleles located in Tokyo's Taito Ward, reported a sharp increase in online orders from May. The company said it has sold nearly double the number from this past year and cannot keep pace with production.
Michihiro Hayashi, 37, fourth-generation president of the family firm, touted the ukulele for its pleasant lute-like sound. It really is an accessible instrument in "combining a depth of sound with being something you can grab anytime and pluck while watching YouTube (for instance)," he said.
A 44-year-old female part-timer who takes ukulele lessons at a school run by the company said, "The vibrations of the strings and the raw sound make it easy for me to forget my gloomy feelings."
Other instruments seeing strong demand include electric pianos and keyboards.
A 52-year-old man browsing electric pianos at Yamano Music's flagship store in Tokyo's Ginza district along with his wife said he previously "wished to play one for a long period."
The man, who took piano lessons as a kid, said he was spending considerable time at home nowadays and "wanted to see that which was available."
A wide age range of individuals have made inquiries about electric pianos, a company official said. They allow headphones to be utilized in order to avoid bothering neighbors with loud noise.
Sales of electric pianos increased 1.40 times over this past year. Keyboards registered a 1.20-fold rise.
Demand for soundproof equipment is also booming. Occasionally, where renovation occurs, construction costs can exceed 1 million yen for unit-type soundproof rooms.
Yamano Music said it had seen an almost twofold upsurge in sales of its soundproof gear from the same period this past year.
Yumiko Sunaga, the firm's public relations chief, said, "Playing a musical instrument is special for people. For people who've always wanted to play but haven't given it a try, they have significantly more time in the home and probably feel the push to accomplish it now."
Source: japantoday.com
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