'Grand' piano goes bonsai in Japan

If you are thinking of getting a grand piano, yet your apartment is too cramped to squeeze one in, then you are in luck. A toymaker is offering a "grand piano" that can fit on a shelf.

The "Grand Pianist" has 88 keys just like the real grand piano -- except each key is only four millimeters (.15 inches) wide.

While it can theoretically be played by a musician with true slight of hand, the Grand Pianist holds in its memory a repertoire of some 100 classical, jazz and pop tunes that it can perform on its own.

"This will bring the real feel of live concerts to a household," said a statement by maker Sega Toys, part of video-game and pinball machine company Sega Sammy Holdings Inc.

The Grand Pianist, which stands 18 centimeters (about seven inches) and sits 25 centimeters (10 inches) wide, is designed for a target audience of adults 30 years and older.

It carries a price tag of 47,000 yen (400 dollars) and will hit the Japanese market in April, the company said.