Kenwood

Origins of Kenwood Corporation

The Kenwood audio company, originally known as Kasuga Radio Co., Ltd., was founded in Komagane City, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, on December 21, 1946. The company’s founders are considered to be Kasuga Nakaichi, his brother Jiro, brother-in-law Hideo Nakano, and uncle Hisao. In the post-war years, the consumer audio industry was booming, and Kasuga Radio made significant innovations in radio technology that brought them success in global markets.

In 1960, the company was renamed to Trio Corporation. In 1963, the first overseas office was established in Los Angeles County, California, USA. During the early 1960s, Trio’s products were rebranded by the Lafayette Radio Company, with a focus on citizens band radio. A&A Trading Co. imported Japanese-made electronics for RadioShack. William “Bill” Kasuga, a bilingual Japanese-speaking manager from A&A, partnered with George Aratani and Yoichi Nakase to establish a company as the exclusive importer of Trio products.

The name “Kenwood” was invented by Kasuga as a combination of “Ken” (a name common to Japan and North America that was considered acceptable to American consumers due to the Kenmore appliance brand) and “Wood” (referring to the substance, as well as suggesting a relation to Hollywood, California). The brand recognition of Kenwood eventually surpassed that of Trio, and in 1981, Trio switched over to using the Kenwood name as its worldwide go-to name. In 1986, after fully acquiring Kenwood, which was still an independent importing company, George Aratani became the first chairman of the Kenwood corporation in the US.

Kenwood began producing turntables in the 1970s, quickly impressing collectors and listeners. A notable model is the KD-500, introduced in 1978, known for its granite plinth and reputation for crystal-clear sound.