Akio Morita
The Co-Founder Who Built Sony From a War-Torn Radio Repair Shop
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The book explores how Sony grew from a Japanese electronics company into a global brand. It covers the development of Trinitron television tubes, the Walkman portable music player, and Sony's expansion into American markets. The chapters also examine Morita's leadership style and his vision for making Japan's technology known worldwide.
This biography details the rise of one of Japan's most successful business leaders. Readers will learn how Morita transformed a small repair shop into an international corporation that changed consumer electronics forever. Anyone interested in business history or Japanese corporate culture will find this account compelling.
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Early life
Akio Morita was born in Nagoya, into a family that had been making sake, miso, and soy sauce since 1665, in the village of Kosugaya, now part of Tokoname City. As the oldest of four children, he was trained from a young age to take over the family business. But Morita found his real passion in science, earning a physics degree from Osaka Imperial University in 1944. He was then commissioned as a sub-lieutenant in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. While serving, he met Masaru Ibuka at a study group focused on infrared-guided bombs, known as Ke-Go, within the Navy's Wartime Research Committee.
Sony
In 1946, Akio Morita helped found Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, which became Sony, after joining Masaru Ibuka's radio repair shop in Tokyo. With funding from his father, Morita co-founded the company with about 20 employees and initial capital of ¥190,000. By 1950, they sold Japan's first tape recorder, and in the 1950s, Ibuka secured transistor licensing from Bell Labs. In 1958, Morita and Ibuka renamed the company Sony, inspired by "sonus" and "sonny." Morita pushed for portable products, even having employees wear shirts with larger pockets to make a radio appear pocket-sized. He also founded Sony Corporation of America in 1960 and encouraged employee mobility between companies. In 1961, Sony became the first Japanese company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. In 1971, Morita became president, and in 1975, Sony released the first Betamax home videocassette recorder. In 1979, the Walkman was introduced, and in 1982, Sony launched the world's first CD player. Morita pushed for convergence between film, music, and electronics, leading to acquisitions of CBS Records and Columbia Pictures. He stepped down as chairman in 1994 after a cerebral hemorrhage, succeeded by Norio Ohga.
Other affiliations
Akio Morita served as vice chairman of the Japan Business Federation, also known as the Japan Federation of Economic Organizations, and was part of the Japan-U.S. Economic Relations Group, sometimes called the "Wise Men's Group." He played a role in helping General Motors with its 1972 acquisition of an interest in Isuzu. Morita also became the third Japanese chairman of the Trilateral Commission. In his personal time, he was active in amateur radio, using the call sign JP1DPJ.
Death
Akio Morita, who enjoyed playing golf and tennis, had a stroke in 1993 while playing tennis. The stroke left him weakened and in a wheelchair. He stepped down as Sony chairman on November 25, 1994. Morita died of pneumonia on October 3, 1999, at age seventy-eight in a Tokyo hospital, where he had been since August 1999.
Awards and honours
Akio Morita received widespread recognition for his contributions to business and technology. In 1972, he was awarded the Golden Plate Award by the American Academy of Achievement. The following year, he became the first Japanese recipient of the Albert Medal from the Royal Society of Arts in the UK. Two years later, he received the Legion of Honour, and in 1991, was honored with the First Class Order of the Sacred Treasure from the Emperor of Japan. He was elected to both the American Philosophical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1992, and that same year, was granted an honorary British knighthood. In 1998, Time magazine named him one of the 20 most influential business people of the 20th century. After his death, he was posthumously awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun in 1999. In his honor, Anaheim University renamed its business school the Akio Morita School of Business.
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Overview
Sony Group Corporation, known as Sony, is a Japanese company based in Tokyo that started as a small radio repair shop in 1946, founded by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita. Originally called Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo K.K., it later became Sony Corporation in 1958. The company grew from an electronics firm into a global brand, known for products like the TR-55 transistor radio and the Walkman portable audio player. After Ibuka retired, Morita led the company as chairman until 1994, guiding Sony through major innovations such as the Trinitron color television and the compact disc. In 1994, Sony launched the PlayStation video game console. By 2020, Sony was the world’s largest image sensor maker and a top television manufacturer. The company is publicly traded on both the Tokyo and New York Stock Exchanges.
Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo
In the aftermath of World War II, Masaru Ibuka opened an electronics shop in Tokyo, in a department store building called Shirokiya, in the Nihonbashi area. The company began with just ¥190,000 in capital and eight employees. On May 7, 1946, Ibuka was joined by Akio Morita to form a company named Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo, which means Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation. That company went on to build Japan’s first tape recorder, called the Type-G. Later, in 1958, the company changed its name to Sony.
Name
Akio Morita and Masaru Ibuka, founders of Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo, needed a global brand name to grow, so they sought something short and easy to pronounce. Initially considering their initials TTK, which conflicted with a railway company, and "Tokyo Teletech," which an American firm already used, they eventually proposed "Sony," combining the Latin word sonus, meaning sound, and sonny, a 1950s slang term for a smart young man. The first Sony product, the TR-55 transistor radio, debuted in 1955, but the company didn't officially become "Sony" until January 1958. Using Roman letters instead of kanji was unusual for a Japanese firm and sparked resistance from Mitsui Bank, which wanted a name tied to a specific industry. Morita stood firm, however, and both Ibuka and the bank's chairman eventually agreed.
Globalization
Akio Morita co-founded Sony and helped build it from a small Japanese radio repair shop into a global electronics giant. In 1960, he founded Sony Corporation of America, where he observed American workplace mobility and brought that idea back to Japan. By the 1970s and 1980s, Sony had become a major exporter, supplying the U.S. military during the Vietnam War and improving perceptions of Japanese products. After Masaru Ibuka stepped down in 1971, Morita became president and led Sony through expansion into insurance and media. Norio Ohga took over in 1989, driving innovations like the CD and PlayStation, and acquiring CBS Records and Columbia Pictures. Later leaders, including Howard Stringer and Kazuo Hirai, restructured Sony’s business model and focused on gaming, imaging, and mobile technology while trying to reduce losses from its TV division.
Formats and technologies
Sony became known for making its own technology standards instead of using what others had created, and early on, the company succeeded by working with Philips on the Digital Compact Cassette, a partnership that lasted for many years across different technologies. The company introduced several widely used recording formats, including the 3.5-inch floppy disk, the compact disc, and the Blu-ray disc, often doing so alone or with others. This approach helped Sony build its reputation in the electronics world.
Video recording
In 1971, Sony introduced U-matic, the first videocassette format, but it didn’t catch on with consumers because of its high cost. The company then launched Betamax in 1975, entering a fierce format war in the early 1980s against JVC’s VHS system. Although Betamax was technologically advanced, VHS ultimately won out and became the global standard for home video recorders. While Betamax itself is now obsolete, Sony’s professional Betacam format, based on Betamax, remained in use until 2016. In 1985, Sony brought out its Handycam line and the Video8 format, which grew popular in the consumer camcorder market. The following year, the company also launched Digital Audio Tape, or DAT, a new digital audio standard.
Visual display
Sony held a patent for its Trinitron technology until 1996. Then in 2004, the company introduced Triluminos Display, a color reproduction system used in LED-backlit LCD televisions, as well as in monitors, laptops, and smartphones. By 2013, Sony had improved that tech with quantum dots, making it the first commercial use of such technology. In 2012, Sony unveiled a prototype of an ultrafine RGB LED display called the Crystal LED Display.
Audio recording
Sony took the Compact Cassette format and ran with it, using it in tape recorders and players like the Walkman, the world’s first portable music player. Later, in 1992, they introduced the MiniDisc format as an alternative to Philips’ Digital Compact Cassette, or DCC, and a follow-up to the cassette. After that, Sony pushed its own audio compression tech under the ATRAC brand, competing against the MP3, which was growing in popularity. Until late 2004, Sony’s Network Walkman line of digital players didn’t support MP3 files natively. Then in 2004, Sony upgraded with Hi-MD, which let users store audio on new 1 GB discs, as well as regular MiniDiscs, and even hold computer files like documents, videos, and photos.
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Overview
Akio Morita co-founded Sony Corporation after Japan’s defeat in World War II, starting from a small radio repair shop in the war-torn country. His 1986 autobiography, Made in Japan: Akio Morita and Sony, written with Edwin M. Reingold and Mitsuko Shimomura, tells the story of how Sony grew from those humble beginnings into a global powerhouse under his leadership. The book also explores Japanese business culture and ways of thinking. Originally published in English, it has since been translated into twelve languages.
Sections
Akio Morita co-founded Sony after World War Two, starting from a small radio repair shop in Japan. His journey took him through the post-war rebuilding period, then into international business, learning how to sell products globally. He believed management was about family values and cultural understanding, especially when comparing Japanese and American business styles. Competition drove innovation in Japanese enterprises, and Morita saw technology as essential for survival. His work connected Japan with the world, navigating both alienation and alliance, while managing global trade challenges and avoiding economic crises. These experiences shaped Sony's rise from a local operation to an international brand.
Legacy
Robert Heller discussed Made in Japan in his 1989 book The Decision Makers, calling Morita’s career an example of forward-thinking decision-making that builds the future into its choices. Sheridan Tatsuno's Created in Japan refers to Morita’s work as a caution to the West for ignoring signs of Japanese innovation. George Beahm’s 2014 book Steve Jobs: Life by Design notes that Made in Japan influenced Steve Jobs, who studied the Japanese approach closely. After Morita died in 1999, the Washington Post quoted him in his obituary: “Our plan is to lead the public with new products rather than ask them what kind of products they want. The public does not know what is possible, but we do.”
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Founding
In September 1945, after World War II ended, Masaru Ibuka opened a radio repair shop in a bomb-damaged building in Tokyo’s Nihonbashi district. The following year, his wartime research partner Akio Morita joined him, and on May 7, 1946, they founded Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo K.K., later known as Sony. The company made Japan’s first tape recorder, the Type-G. In the early 1950s, Ibuka went to the U.S. seeking markets for their recorder and learned about Bell Labs’ new transistor invention. He convinced them to license the technology, though Bell recommended using it for hearing aids at first. While other Japanese firms focused on military uses, Ibuka and Morita saw potential in communications. Though American companies made the first transistor radio in 1954, it was Ibuka’s company that brought it to commercial success.
As an innovator
In August 1955, Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo introduced the Sony TR-55, Japan's first transistor radio, followed by the TR-72 in December that same year, which gained popularity both domestically and internationally. By 1957, they released the TR-63, the smallest transistor radio in production, marketed as "pocketable," a term that entered English dictionaries. The company changed its name to Sony in 1958, and soon after, launched the world's first all-transistor portable television, the TV8-301. In 1961, Sony introduced the PV-100, the first compact transistor VTR, and in 1968, the Trinitron color TV, which made Sony the world's largest TV manufacturer by revenue until 2006. The company also launched the TC-50 cassette recorder in 1969, used by NASA astronauts, and later developed the Betamax video format. In 1979, Sony released the Walkman, and in 1981, the CDP-101 CD player and a 3.5-inch floppy disk. Sony also created the first color CCD video camera and the Mavica electronic still camera. In 1991, they introduced the first commercial lithium-ion battery, and in 1998, the Memory Stick format. In June 2006, Sony launched the Blu-ray Disc, a high-definition optical format developed with the Blu-ray Disc Association.
Entry into computer games
In 1983, Sony began selling the Hit Bit product for the MSX computer system, marking its first step into video game publishing. The company released a line of computers and accompanying video games that found success in Japan, South America, Spain—through Sony Spain—and Europe, though it never made it to North America. This early venture paved the way for what would later become Sony Music Entertainment Japan, formerly CBS Sony Group, which produced Famicom games. Over time, this evolved into Sony Computer Entertainment, now known as Sony Interactive Entertainment, along with other divisions like Sony Electronic Publishing and Sony Computer Entertainment America and Europe.
Beyond an electronics powerhouse
Sony became a major force in Japan’s rise as a global exporter during the late 20th century. From the late 1980s through the early 2000s, it expanded aggressively into many industries—film, insurance, banking, internet services, and gaming. It grew its music business from CBS/Sony Records into Sony Music Entertainment, a multinational group. The company pursued a strategy called “convergence,” trying to connect film, music, and digital electronics through the Internet. But this approach ultimately failed, damaging Sony’s finances and making its business structure overly complicated.
Crisis and challenges
Howard Stringer became the first non-Japanese CEO of Sony and took on the challenge of revitalizing the company’s struggling media divisions. He pushed for high-profile films like Spider-Man while simultaneously cutting 9,000 jobs. Although there was some success, Sony continued facing difficulties through the mid-2000s, losing ground in the tech world and becoming known for its lack of innovation. The company's brand began to fade, and it started to feel stagnant. Around the end of 2006, Sony moved its headquarters from Shinagawa to Minato in Tokyo.
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Early life
Masaru Ibuka entered the world on April 11, 1908, as the eldest son of Tasuku Ibuka, who worked as an architectural technologist and was a student of Inazo Nitobe. His family traced its roots back to the Aizu Domain, where his ancestors had served as chief retainers, and among his relatives were Yae Ibuka and Ibuka Kajinosuke. Tragically, Masaru lost his father when he was just two years old, and he was then raised by his grandfather. After his mother remarried, he moved to Kobe, where he later succeeded in passing the entrance exam for Hyogo Prefectural 1st Kobe Boys' School, now known as Hyogo Prefectural Kobe High School, a victory that brought him great joy.
Career
After graduating from Waseda University in 1933, Masaru Ibuka worked at Photo-Chemical Laboratory and later served in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. In 1945, he founded a radio repair shop in bombed-out Tokyo. A year later, Akio Morita joined him after reading about the venture, and together they founded Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation, which became Sony in 1958. Ibuka secured transistor licensing from Bell Labs and led development of Sony’s Trinitron color TV. He served as Sony’s president from 1950 to 1971 and then as chairman until his 1976 retirement. The Walkman came from a request he made in 1979 for a portable music device, which Morita approved for production. Ibuka received numerous awards including Japan’s highest honors and IEEE recognition, and authored Kindergarten is Too Late, advocating early childhood learning.
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Definition
"Think globally, act locally" is a phrase that encourages people to care about the planet as a whole while taking action in their own communities. This idea started with grassroots efforts—people working together at the local level to protect habitats and wildlife. These actions were often led by volunteers and community helpers long before governments passed environmental laws. Today, the concept has grown beyond just individuals; it includes corporations, schools, and local leaders who all recognize the need for positive change. Warren Heaps points out that companies must balance global ideas with local culture when designing things like employee programs.
Origins of the phrase
The phrase "think globally, act locally" doesn't have a single known origin. It's widely linked to environmentalist David Brower, who used it as a slogan when he founded Friends of the Earth in 1969. Some credit the biologist René Dubos with introducing it in 1977. Another possibility is the French theologian Jacques Ellul. In 1979, Canadian futurist Frank Feather, who chaired a conference with that exact title, also claimed to have coined the expression.
Origin in town planning
Patrick Geddes, the Scottish biologist and sociologist, helped shape the idea behind “Think globally, act locally,” especially in town planning. Though the exact phrase doesn’t appear in his 1915 book Cities in Evolution, the concept is clear: local character comes from understanding the full environment and connecting with the place’s essential life. Geddes introduced the idea of “region” into architecture and planning, emphasizing that we must work with the environment rather than against it. His approach to urban development shows how important it is for corporations and communities to consider global impacts when expanding or changing local areas. Addressing urban environmental issues requires understanding existing problems, comparing them, setting goals, and choosing effective strategies.
Education
The idea of “think globally, act locally” came into education through Stuart Grauer’s 1989 publication at the University of San Diego, titled Think Globally, Act Locally: A Delphi Study of Educational Leadership Through the Development of International Resources in the Local Community. In that work, Grauer credited Harlan Cleveland with coining the phrase. The concept has since been embraced not only by corporations but also by schools and government officials worldwide. Some educators now believe it’s vital to introduce global thinking as early as age five. They see this approach as essential for preparing students to understand our interconnected world, recognizing that students are our future and that grasping this mindset is fundamental to that future.
Business
In business strategy, the idea of thinking globally while acting locally has become essential for companies today. This concept, sometimes called “glocal,” was coined by Akio Morita, the founder of Sony Corporation, and used in the company’s advertising and branding during the 1980s and 1990s. Multinational corporations are encouraged to build strong local roots while keeping a global perspective. As globalization has spread from Japan into Western society, businesses now must balance both local and global considerations. Companies are also increasingly aware of their environmental impact, facing pressure from governments and communities that affects their public image.
Church
While the Christian church has traditionally "thought globally and acted locally", some Christian leaders have reversed the slogan by suggesting that the church should "think locally and act globally" by encouraging the empowerment of local leaders e.g. on a multi-site campus, rather than trying to direct and equip them centrally.
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Overview
In 1989, Akio Morita, the co-founder of Sony, and Shintaro Ishihara, then Japan’s Minister of Transport and later governor of Tokyo, published an essay titled “The Japan That Can Say No.” The work criticized American business practices and called for Japan to take a more independent stance in both commerce and foreign policy. The title reflected Ishihara’s vision of a Japanese government not merely deferential to the U.S. The book sparked controversy in America, leading Morita to distance himself from it. An English translation was published in 1991 by Simon & Schuster, though it excluded Morita’s own contributions. The essay inspired similar works, including a 1996 collection titled China Can Say No.
Points asserted
The work presents a collection of essays written by Ishihara and Morita, alternating between their voices. Ishihara's pieces argue that Japan is a global power deserving of respect and that the nation must assert itself more in dealings with the U.S. Morita’s contributions, on the other hand, highlight the weaknesses of American corporations, which he believes will eventually lead to America’s decline. His essays also explore what Japan can do to improve its international image and strengthen its position. These writings were based on speeches given in the past.
Japanese superiority
The world now relies heavily on Japanese technology, particularly in chip manufacturing. Japan should leverage this edge in negotiations, even going so far as to threaten the Soviets with trade secrets to gain leverage over the U.S. It's been said that American products suffer from poor quality because of lower worker standards, while Japanese workers are better educated and therefore superior. The Japanese character is seen as inherently better than that of Americans.
Japanese assertiveness
Japanese diplomats struggle to negotiate with Western nations, so businessmen who are experienced with foreign contacts should also participate in trade talks. A key figure suggested that Japan ought to terminate the U.S.-Japan security pact and instead manage its own defense, arguing this approach would be less expensive and reduce dependence on the United States. This perspective reflected growing calls for greater self-reliance in international affairs.
Criticisms of America
Americans, according to Morita, hold a belief that the Caucasian race is superior because the modern world is shaped by Western influence, and this bias will ultimately harm them. He criticizes how American missionaries and the U.S. work to erase local traditions and impose Western culture instead. Morita points out that former American colonies struggle, while former Japanese colonies are doing well. He also claims the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan, not Germany, during World War II was rooted in racism, since Germans were white and Japanese were not.
American business
American business, according to Akio Morita, spends too much time on financial maneuvers like mergers and acquisitions, instead of focusing on making real products and building manufacturing strength. He believed U.S. companies prioritize short-term profits, moving production overseas, which harms long-term economic health. Morita noted that American executives earn excessive salaries, damaging their firms. In contrast, Japanese companies foster tight-knit employee communities, leading to better results. He also pointed out that the trade surplus with the U.S. happens because the U.S. lacks desirable products. While American businesses excel in basic research, they fall short in turning ideas into market-ready goods and marketing them effectively. Morita felt it was natural for the Japanese government to support its companies, since they provide essential tax revenue.
Japan's image and position
Japan’s image overseas has taken a hit, and part of the blame lies with Japanese businessmen who don’t integrate into local communities or socialize with locals. To be better understood in the U.S., Japanese leaders must adapt more to Western culture and language—something foreigners from other countries have successfully done. The U.S. failing to recognize Japan’s importance will hurt both the American and global economy. Japan needs to be conscious of its role as a world leader and support the global economy. It should also help build up Asia to strengthen its regional leadership. True world leadership, he argues, means giving more foreign aid—comparing it to doing local community service.
Reception
Daniel W. Drezner of Foreign Policy called the book one of the ten worst on foreign policy, mocking Shintaro's claim that Japan was meant to become the next superpower. A similar critique came up in a March 1990 newspaper, where a cartoon showed Mount Fuji—symbol of Japan and its purity—facing off against an aggressive American soldier. In the drawing, Mount Fuji is depicted as saying "Japan cannot say no," questioning whether the postwar era was truly over and hinting that Japan was ready to stand on its own after years of relying on U.S. support.
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Overview
Norio Ohga was a Japanese business leader who served as president and chairman of Sony Corporation. He played a key role in advancing the compact disc as a successful audio format. Ohga was born on January 29, 1930, and passed away on April 23, 2011. His work helped shape the future of music technology.
Early career
Norio Ohga was born in Numazu, Shizuoka, and as a child, he spent long periods in bed recovering from tuberculosis, during which time an acquaintance taught him physics and music. He later pursued his dream of becoming a professional opera singer, studying at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, where he graduated in 1953. His path to Sony began when he wrote a critical letter about the company's tape recorder, catching the attention of Masaru Ibuka, Akio Morita, and others at Totsuko, then known as Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo KK. Because of his deep understanding of both music and technology, Ohga was hired as a part-time consultant. He went on to study in Munich and Berlin, where he met conductor Herbert von Karajan. His expertise in sound and engineering led to his appointment as executive director at Sony in 1964 at age thirty-four, and then president of CBS/Sony Records Inc.—now Sony Music Entertainment Japan—in 1970, by the age of forty. These appointments were unprecedented for a Japanese company at such a young age.
Later career
Norio Ohga became president of Sony in 1982 and CEO in 1989, overseeing major acquisitions like Columbia Pictures Entertainment and CBS Records. He helped launch Sony Computer Entertainment and supported the development of the PlayStation. In 1994, he succeeded Akio Morita as chairman, and in 1995, he picked Nobuyuki Idei as president—a choice that shocked most of the company. Idei later became co-CEO with Ohga in 1998 and then sole CEO in 1999. Ohga semi-retired in 2000, remaining chairman while Idei took over as executive chairman. On November 7, 2001, Ohga collapsed onstage during an orchestra performance in Beijing and spent three months in a coma before recovering. He retired from the board on his 73rd birthday in 2003, becoming honorary chairman, and served as chairman of the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. Ohga died April 23, 2011, at age 81.
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