Yamaha Marine (Japan)

Yamaha Marine, the marine division of Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Iwata, Shizuoka, Japan), traces its roots to the company's diversification from musical instruments (via the original Yamaha Corporation, founded in 1887) into motorized vehicles and watercraft following the 1955 establishment of Yamaha Motor as a spin-off. Entering the marine sector in the late 1950s, Yamaha's first outboard motor, the noisy 7.5-hp P-7 two-stroke, debuted in 1960 for coastal fishing boats, quickly evolving into the lighter, quieter P-3 model that year—the first Japanese outboard with die-cast components. By the 1960s, Yamaha aggressively expanded with fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FRP) boats and engines, testing the P-3 in lobster fisheries and exporting to markets like Pakistan amid global demand. The 1970s and 1980s saw innovations like the Enduro series for commercial durability and leisure-focused four-strokes (introduced 1984), alongside sailboats (e.g., Yamaha 26 and 30) and motorboats, fueled by Japan's bubble economy and marina developments like Yokohama Bay Side. Today, celebrating its 50th anniversary in marine operations (2010), Yamaha Marine dominates with over 1,000 outboard variants (2-stroke to high-output V8s), jet drives, and boats like the Jet Boat series, emphasizing EFI efficiency, corrosion-resistant YDC-30 alloys, and eco-friendly tech; it produces ~1 million engines annually, powering everything from fishing skiffs to superyacht tenders worldwide.