Making in the City of Music: Maker Faire Hamamatsu 2026

Japanese makers distinguish themselves every year at the Maker Faires around the country with some of the quirkiest and most inventive projects around. The makers and projects at Micro Maker Faire Hamamatsu are no exception. Despite its small size, the work display on July 4th at the Hamamatsu Science Museum showcases not only individual acumen, but collectively displays the fascination of a city long attuned to music and technology.

Hamamatsu sits in Shizuoka Prefecture between Japan’s two largest cities, Tokyo and Osaka. Hamamatsu is a city built by makers. Its reputation for precision craftsmanship helped launch some of Japan’s biggest names in transportation and music — innovators like Yamaha, Honda, and Suzuki. If you’ve ever driven a Japanese car, ridden a motorcycle, or played a piano or electronic keyboard, there’s a good chance it was designed and possibly manufactured in Hamamatsu. The maker spirit extends beyond the factory floor. Known as Japan’s “City of Music,” it has cultivated that designation since 1887, when founder Torakusu Yamaha successfully repaired his first reed organ. Today, Hamamatsu is home to the Hamamatsu Museum of Musical Instruments, where more than 1,500 instruments from around the world are on display. Better yet, many of them aren’t just behind glass—you can pick them up, play them, and discover how they’re built and how they make music.

Traditional crafts include the Chusen style of textile dyeing, often used to make summer kimono, which involves using or placing stencils to long bolts of folded fabric to apply resist paste. The city attitude of “yaramaika” — which means “Let’s give a try.” in local dialect — embodies the maker movement and is reflected in the innovation and creativity on display at Hamamatsu Micro Maker Faire.

This is a science-themed interior piece that allows you to experience space by converting the 2D unfolded cosmic ray detection information, which is streamed in real time on the Super-Kamiokande website, into a cylindrical 3D image and displaying it on a small Raspberry Pi-controlled display.

“Super Octet!” is a GM-compliant MIDI sound module with a built-in software FM sound source with up to 8 operators. It can play up to 42 polyphonic notes and can be connected to a PC with a single USB-C cable. The number of polyphonic notes can be increased by stacking multiple “Super Octet!” units.

“SPRITE!” is a MIDI sound module that utilizes a karaoke machine sound board and eVOCALOID.

Denha’s exhibit features rows of wooden marble machines, displays, and “various LED badges” with LEDs scattered across small electronic circuit boards. There’s also a “wind synth mobile system” utilizing the MWiC wind instrument-shaped MIDI controller and the self-made oscillator EWIVCO.

The board game roulette has been modified so you can land on any number you want. Use the wireless controller to specify the number you want to stop on, and spin the roulette by hand; the built-in motor will control where it stops.

A second game is a dart-style roulette to make your big dreams come true at the end of the year. You can control the rotation of the roulette fom the moment the dart is launched until it reaches its target, so you can land it wherever you like.

Pokorinta is an automatic playing cajon with built-in percussion instruments such as cymbals and tambourines. Through its transparent casing, you can visually enjoy the intricate workings of over 30 solenoids and the vibrant LED effects. A circuit board capable of driving a large number of solenoids has been designed and installed, allowing for a complete ensemble in a compact casing.

You can find further information about these projects and more HERE.

Here’s a look at the 2023 event to give an impression of how impactful and inspiring a small gathering of dedicated makers can be.

Hamamatsu Micro Maker Faire is produced by Impress Corporation along with local partners and sponsors. A full list of participants and supporting partners can be found HERE.