Akio Morita (盛田昭夫 Morita Akio, January 26, 1921, Tokoname, Aichi – October 3, 1999, Tokyo) was a Japanese businessman and co-founder of the Sony Corporation along with Masaru Ibuka.

[edit] Early life

Morita's family was involved in sake, miso and soy sauce production in the Chita Peninsula, Aichi Prefecture since 1665. He was the oldest of four siblings and his father Kyuzaemon trained him as a child to take over the family business. Akio, however, found his true calling in mathematics and physics, and in 1944 he graduated from Osaka Imperial University with a degree in physics. He later joined the navy and served as a lieutenant during World War II. During his service, Morita met his future partner Masaru Ibuka in the Navy's Wartime Research Committee.

[edit] Sony

On May 7, 1946, Morita and Ibuka founded Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation, the forerunner to Sony Corporation) with about 20 employees and initial capital of ¥190,000. Ibuka was 38 years old, Morita 25. Morita's family invested in Sony during the early period and was the largest shareholder.

In 1949, the company developed magnetic recording tape and in 1950, sold the first tape recorder in Japan. In 1957, it produced a pocket-sized radio (the first to be fully-transistorized) and in 1958 Morita and Ibuka made the decision to rename their company Sony (sonus is Latin for sound, and Sonny-boys is Japanese slang for "whiz kids"). Morita was an advocate for all the products made by the Sony Corporation. He helped sell his new radio by claiming that it was "pocket sized" and had the ability to fit in a normal shirt pocket. However, the radio was slightly too big to fit in a shirt pocket, so Morita made his business men wear shirts with slightly larger pockets giving the radio a "pocket sized" appearance. In 1960 it produced the first transistor television in the world. In 1975 it released the first Betamax home video recorder, a year before VHS came out. In 1979 the Walkman was introduced, making it the world's first portable music player. In 1984 Sony launched the Discman series which extended their Walkman brand to portable CD products.

In 1960, the Sony Corporation of America was established in the United States. In 1961, the Sony Corporation of America was the first Japanese company to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Sony bought Columbia Records and other CBS labels in 1988 and Columbia Pictures in 1989.

On November 25, 1994, Morita resigned as Sony chairman after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage while playing tennis. His successor, Norio Ohga, had joined the company after sending Morita a letter denouncing the poor quality of the company's tape recorders.

[edit] Other service

He was also Vice Chairman of the Keidanren (Japan Federation of Economic Organizations) and was a member of the Japan-U.S. Economic Relations Group, (also known as the "Wise Men's Group").

[edit] Publications

In 1966, Morita wrote a book called Gakureki Muyō Ron (学歴無用論, Never Mind School Records), in which he stresses that school records are not important in one's success or ability to do business. In 1986, Morita wrote an autobiography titled Made in Japan. He was famous for co-authoring the 1991 essay The Japan that Can Say No with politician Shintaro Ishihara, which criticized United States business practices and encouraged Japanese to take a more independent role in business and foreign affairs.

[edit] Awards

He was awarded the Albert Medal from the United Kingdom's Royal Society of Arts in 1982, the first Japanese to receive the honor. Two years later, he received the prestigious National Order of the Legion of Honor and in 1991, he was awarded the First Class Order of the Sacred Treasure from the Emperor of Japan. In 1993 he was awarded an honorary British knighthood (KBE).

[edit] Death

Akio Morita suffered a stroke in 1993, during a game of tennis. On October 3, 1999, Morita died of pneumonia at the age of 78.

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[edit] investment

After years of investment in the sporting industry Sony corporation have made tentative enquiry's into the purchase of a premier league football club, although in its infancy Sony's venture into football club ownership is not expected to be very far away with the present owners very keen to come to an agreement.

[edit] External links

• Akio Morita Library
• Time magazine profile
• Sony Biographical notes
• PBS notes
• Full Biography at World of Biography
• Sony Encyclopedia Article
• Akio Morita's Early Life

[edit] Further reading

• Morita, Akio. Made in Japan (New York: Dutton, 1986, ISBN 0451151712)
• Morita, Akio. Never Mind School Records (1966) (ISBN 4022604158 in Japanese)
• Morita, Akio (Co-Author) and Shintaro Ishihara. The Japan That Can Say No (Simon & Schuster, 1991, ISBN 0671758535, ISBN 4334051588 in Japanese)
• List of books authored by Akio Morita at WorldCat

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