Akio Morita is known as the founder of Sony. The Sony company is a leading Japanese electronics manufacturing company in the world. This company can also be said to be the most innovative in Japan.
The business of the Sony company founded by Morita is diverse, covering the electronics manufacturing, gaming, entertainment and financial sectors. In the history of the Sony company, there are two founders of Sony, namely Akio Morita and Masaru Ibuka. What is the history of the founding of Sony? The following is the biography of Akio Morita.
Akio Morita Biography
Akio Morita was born on January 26, 1921, in the city of Nagoya. He was born into a family of sake brewers (Japanese beer). In his family, the work of making sake has been carried out for almost 400 years in the city of Tokoname, near Nagoya.
His father, Kyuzaemon, groomed Akio to become the heir to the family’s sake business. When he was a student, Akio often sat in on company meetings with his father. He helps with the family business even during holidays.
At that time, the Morita family was already familiar with Western culture and technology, such as cars and electric phonographs. And whenever he has free time at home, Akio is busy taking apart the gramophone at home and putting it back together. Stay up-to-date with Deltsapure! Provide accurate and updated news for readers.
Akio Morita Career and Journey
Since he was a child, Akio has loved tinkering with electronic equipment. Mathematics and physics are his favorite subjects. After graduating, Akio joined the Physics Department at Osaka Imperial University.
During World War II, Japan was in the middle of the Pacific War. In 1944, Akio served as a lieutenant in the Navy after graduating from university. In the navy he met Masaru Ibuka in the Wartime Research Committee division.
Akio later returned to the family home in Nagoya after the war ended. He was then invited to join the faculty of the Tokyo Institute of Technology by one of the professors. He then packed his things and prepared to leave for Tokyo.
But at that time, he saw an article about a research laboratory founded by Ibuka, his former colleague in the navy. The article appeared in an Asahi newspaper column called “Blue Pencil.” With the end of the war, Ibuka had founded the Tokyo Telecommunications Research Institute to begin a new beginning. After reading this article, Morita chose to visit Ibuka in Tokyo. They then agreed to decide to establish a new company together.
Founder of Sony
On May 7, 1946, Ibuka and Morita founded Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo KK (Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation), the forerunner of the Sony company. This company initially had around 20 employees and initial capital of 190,000 yen. Ibuka is 38 years old and Morita is 25 years old.
During their collaboration, Ibuka focused more on energy technology for research and development of the company’s products. Meanwhile, Morita plays an important role in leading Sony in the fields of marketing, globalization, finance and human resources. Sony is a new company that is ready to compete with Toshiba and Panasonic which were already established.
Furthermore, Morita also spearheaded the company’s entry into the software business. The company’s drive to expand its business globally can be seen in the decisions taken by Morita. He changed the company name to SONY in 1958.
At first this decision was not well received inside or outside the company. This is because Tsushin Tokyo Kogyo is widely known. To counter such views, Morita stressed it was necessary to change the company name to something easier to pronounce and remember.
Apart from that, the company can grow and increase its expansion globally. Additionally, Morita argued that the company could one day expand into products other than electronics and the Tsushin Tokyo Kogyo name would no longer be appropriate.
Therefore, he changed his name to Sony Corporation and decided to write ‘Sony’ in the katakana alphabet (a Japanese alphabet usually used to write foreign names), something still unfamiliar at that time.
Founded Sony America
In Akio Morita’s biography, in 1960 he founded Sony Corporation of America in the United States. Morita then moved to America with his family. There he then led the Sony company in its expansion in America.
In Morita’s mind, Sony must make direct sales, not just rely on local dealers. Sony has launched many products. This product reflects Morita’s creativity and innovative ideas. His ideas gave birth to a new lifestyle and culture. Like the Walkman and video cassette recorders which were superior products from Sony.
Morita took the step of making Sony a Japanese company that has offered its shares on the New York Stock Exchange. This step taken by Morita allows Sony to increase capital not only in Japan. Sony is an example of Japanese companies raising foreign capital. Where the management habit of Japanese companies is to borrow more funds from banks.
Akio Morita wrote a book entitled Never Mind School Records in 1966. In his book he emphasized that school records are not important in carrying out work. Morita’s point of view was later followed by many companies in Japan.
In 1968, Sony entered the music software business in Japan by establishing CBS in collaboration with CBS, Inc. from America. Then in 1979, Sony entered the financial business in Japan with the establishment of Sony Prudential Life Insurance Co Ltd. In this business, Sony collaborates with The Prudential Life Insurance Co of America.
The following year, Sony acquired Columbia Pictures Entertainment. This allows the company to become an entertainment company that is rich in content and has the best quality hardware.
In Akio Morita’s biography, it is known that apart from managing Sony, he is also active as a liaison between Japanese and overseas culture. He became Deputy Chairman of Keidanren (Japan Federation of Economic Organizations). He was also a member of the Japanese American Economic Relations.
Akio Morita Award
Morita’s award was the Royal Society of Arts in 1982 from England. In 1984, he received the Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur, France’s highest and most prestigious award in 1991.
Akio was also awarded the First Class Order of the Sacred Treasure from the Emperor of Japan as an innovator. In addition, Morita received a number of awards from countries such as Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and the United States, showing the extent of his global recognition.
Akio Morita Dies
Akio Morita, known as the founder of Sony, died on Sunday in Tokyo, October 3 1999. He died at the age of 78 years. The cause of Morita’s death was pneumonia after suffering from a stroke for a long time. He had been hospitalized in Tokyo since August 1999, after returning from Hawaii, United States.
