"I'm not going to die just yet."

That’s right; the average life expectancy in Japan is 81 for men and 87 for women.
But you must also be thinking that you’ll have to do something about the instruments you own “someday.”

Among the instruments you own now, there are likely some you bought out of admiration, others you acquired because you truly loved their sound or beauty, and perhaps there was also the joy of completing a series or the satisfaction of owning the “best” model.

And as you get older, you’ll find yourself counting down the years before you know it.
It’s strange, but even then, you still believe—or perhaps hope— that you still have time...

By the way, have you ever considered that your instruments might have feelings?
The instrument itself must be grateful to have found an owner who cherishes it and treats it with care.
But it isn’t prepared for the fact that its owner might be gone in a few years or even a few decades.
What will become of these instruments?

The mortality rate for men aged 55 is 4%, and 10% for those aged 65 (Life Insurance Culture Center).
And the rate of sudden death is 10–20% of the total mortality rate.
I know people of the same age who have passed away, and when “that moment” comes, it is often too late.

You’ve surely had plenty of regrets in life, but I don’t want you to regret even your hobby of playing an instrument.
I completely understand the desire to enjoy one’s hobbies to the fullest and then simply hope for the happiness of one’s wife, children, beloved grandchildren, and pets.

That’s precisely why some people might feel it’s a burden to entrust their instruments to family members who can’t fully understand their feelings.
Imagine, for example, if you were lefta large collection of historically valuable haniwa figurines of various sizes. (My apologies to haniwa enthusiasts.)

I don’t like the term “disposing of” an instrument. Now that your era has been clearly etched into the history of that instrument, to whom would you like to pass it on next? Would you want that instrument to be “disposed of” on Yahoo Auctions or Mercari?

Many buyers without physical stores have no other sales channel besides online auctions.

"The higher the buyback price, the better."
I certainly agree.
However, the following five conditions are essential:
① It must be a store specializing in musical instruments
② They must have sufficient knowledge and understand the value of musical instruments
③ They must have proven expertise in maintenance and repair
④ It must have a physical storefront so they can’t just disappear
⑤ The staff member is publicly identifiable and can be contacted at any time
Very few musical instrument stores meet all of these criteria.

If you can picture a “salesperson” who genuinely has your best interests at heart, ask them this when you visit the store:
Ask them, “Are you prepared to carry my feelings along with my lifelong companion and pass it on to the next generation?”

If you’ve read this far, you likely have a considerable amount of assets.
Assets include cash, real estate, stocks, and other securities, but what about musical instruments?
Generally speaking, tax officials do not have the expertise to assess the value of musical instruments. So what should you do?
You’ll need to have them appraised by an expert.

You can’t simply assume it’s fine just because you don’t know the value. In fact, we receive appraisal requests at our store.
If that happens, the heirs will face the nightmare of an unexpected inheritance tax return.

Generally, if total assets fall within the basic deduction amount (30 million yen + 6 million yen × the number of statutory heirs), no inheritance tax is owed.
However, for those with substantial assets, the statutory heirs will be required to pay inheritance tax. Depending on the value of real estate or recent stock prices, the tax bill can be substantial, often leading to situations where the family home must be sold to raise the necessary funds. Furthermore, once the tax office discovers that musical instruments have been left behind, you should assume that an audit is inevitable.

While the surviving heirs are already struggling with the inheritance of real estate—especially their family home—and securities such as stocks, you surely don’t want to see a future where your father’s passion for music and his instruments tarnish that legacy.

Also, please be careful if you have even the slightest concern about the validity of the will. Few people realize that a will can be contested, and only experts know how to handle such situations.

So, are there any of you who have already made lifetime gifts?
With the rules for gifts changing in 2024 and the annual gift tax system becoming less practical, some of you may be considering the “tax settlement at the time of inheritance” system.

So, does transferring ownership of a musical instrument—which is part of one’s assets—constitute a gift?
Is it okay to simply say, “When I die, sell my musical instruments and turn them into cash”?
While the final determination rests with the tax office official, if you have any concerns, you’ll likely want to address them in advance.

While we recommend consulting a tax accountant for detailed advice on inheritance and gift taxes, our store is here to assist you. We not only offer consultations but also provide support in informing your family about the handling of musical instruments and implementing effective strategies.

" I’m not going to die just yet."
Yes, that’s right. So while you’re still surrounded by instruments and burning with passion, please talk to Matsui at TCGAKKI about that resolve. For us, our customers’ happiness is defined as their musical life itself—including their family and loved ones.
Not a single member of our staff is blinded by short-term profits or focused solely on sales figures.

Since not all of our staff members possess the same level of knowledge and wisdom, we convey the following to our younger staff during internal training:
“Our approach is to treat every customer in front of us as if they were our own father, and to provide them with sincere, personalized service.”