Even a piano has gone up the mountain for the autumn leaves

A gondola ride to see autumn leaves ends with a piano waiting at the top. Yamaha's LovePiano has been placed in Alm, the restaurant beside the summit station of the Naeba Dragondola in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. From October 17 to 28, 2026, visitors can sit down and play. A trip can include making music as well as listening to it.

LovePiano began in Japan in 2017 as a public-piano project. Instruments are placed in stations, airports, and commercial spaces, with time set aside for anyone to play. They do not necessarily stay in one place. Each numbered piano travels between venues for different events. The one visiting the mountain is Piano No. 4.

Its appearance is far from the familiar black or natural-wood piano. The organizer's image shows colorful artwork across the front, sides, and even the legs of the stool. It is a different invitation from a formal display that might make visitors hesitate to touch an instrument. Matching each piano's painted design with a location is part of the project.

The mountain event included an opening performance by invited musicians, but access to the piano continued afterward. Concert listeners and visitors who sit at the keyboard themselves share one instrument. The project expanded outside Japan in 2022, with differently decorated pianos appearing in Singapore, Thailand, and other locations.

Public access still requires care and rules. Loan instructions call for a location where staff can keep an eye on the piano, away from direct sunlight and nearby heating or air-conditioning units. Professional movers transport it. Even when a piano is used for a concert, time must be reserved for ordinary visitors to play. There is more preparation involved than simply leaving an instrument in a public place.

At Naeba, the announced playing hours are 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The gondola to the summit station charges a fare, and events or local circumstances may temporarily limit access. In the promotional image, a large window frames autumn mountains behind the piano. A place people visit for the scenery also offers a seat from which they can add a little sound.