About Aria
The Aria Story:
Aria was founded in 1956 by Mr. Shiro Arai. The first instruments that Aria manufactured were classical guitars, which rapidly became popular in the world-wide guitar community. Building upon that initial success Aria expanded their product 
line to include electric instruments and an impressive array of acoustic instruments. Over the years many great musicians, like Neil Schon, Yngwie Malmsteen, John Taylor and Cliff Burton, to name just a few, have enjoyed great success playing Aria instruments.
Today, Aria's headquarters are located in beautiful Nagoya, Japan. Nagoya is a popular location for instrument builders due to the close proximity to Nagano, an area known for its high-quality tone woods. What started as a relatively small classical guitar manufacturer some 50 years ago has grown to become an important and respected part of the music industy. Aria products are currently distributed to 65 countries all around the world, making Aria one of the most recognizable brand names today.
Aria's success comes from the simple fact that they always put the player first in everything they do.
Shiro Arai - The Man Who Started it All:
Mr. Shiro Arai is a true pioneer and one of the most recognizable and respected figures in the world of classical guitars. He is an accomplished guitar player and has enjoyed success with his own brand "Aria" and has helped many other major brands including Jose Ramirez classical guitars. Mr. Arai built Aria on the same priciples that he applies to his guitar playing - unwavering discipline, unmatched quality and an attention to detail that is only matched by his enthusiasm and love for music.
He still plays the guitar at 79 years of age and is an honorary president for both the Japan Guitar Association and the Central Japan Guitar Association.
As evidence to Mr. Arai's position within the guitar community, check out the photo below that shows Shiro with Les Paul and Leo Fender. One can only imagine the great things these three legends talked about!
Kazuyuki Matsuda - Aria's President
Kazuyuki "Kaz" Matsuda is the President of Aria, and the man responsible for Aria's current resurgence in the US.
Kaz first started working at Aria back in 1962, and his impressive work as Shiro Arai's "right hand man" was highly regarded. Now, as Aria's President, Kaz oversees all of Aria's domestic and international operations.
While Kaz may not play a musical instrument, he is a Classical music lover and the biggest Mozart expert and enthusiast you will ever meet. A true audiophile, Kaz has an ear for high-quality tone that is an invaluable asset for Aria to have.