Chinese or other Asian piano roll companies
Surely they must have existed - but I have never seen a single Asian-produced player roll (Ching Chong most definitely does not count :lol:). From all accounts certain cities in Asia were very much into the jazz age, so the question is, were player pianos an established item over there, did Asian roll companies exist, and if so, where are the rolls?

I believe that Yamaha did at some stange in the 20s manufacture a player piano line but have never seen one - I haven't a clue as to whether they made any rolls : probably "no" is the answer. Certain cities may well have been into the jazz age but it's more likewly all this was imported music. There is very little evidence of home-grown expansion into these areas of any note. Apart from colonial-centric cities I really don't see player pianos catching on : it's all far too hot n humid even for tropicalized instruments really in the long term. Until very recent years I don't think the asian middle classes were really that affluent enough to think of pianos in the home, 20th century Japan excepted. In the Hupfeld book there are pictures of showrooms in far-flung asian places and there are photos of colonial town pianola recitals that exist but the market was never targeting any of the indigenous locals by all accounts.

I'm sure I've seen a Yamaha roll leader illustrated somewhere, but have no idea whether this was a roll they made themselves. It's an interesting topic waiting to be properly researched... any takers? Julian