Kawai is a Japanese piano manufacturer which is comparable in quality and popularity to Yamaha. The company began as a small family-owned business that produced pianos and harmonicas, but over the years, it grew into one of the largest piano manufacturers in the world. Kawai's commitment to innovation and excellence has earned the company a reputation for producing high-quality pianos that are used by musicians and piano enthusiasts around the world.

In the early years, Kawai focused on producing upright pianos for the Japanese market. However, in the 1950s, the company began to expand its product line to include grand pianos and to export its pianos to other countries. Kawai was one of the first piano manufacturers to use modern materials, such as plastic and aluminum, in its pianos, which made them more affordable and durable. Today, Kawai produces a wide range of piano models that are known for their exceptional quality and innovative design features, such as the use of carbon fiber in the piano action and the introduction of the Millennium III piano action, which is designed to provide greater speed and control for pianists.

Kawai are generally regarded as having a slightly mellower tone compared to the typically bright Yamaha pianos, and are often preferred by pianists looking for a more 'european' sound for this reason