Akio Morita facts for kids

Akio Morita (born January 26, 1921 – died October 3, 1999) was a Japanese businessman. He is famous for co-founding the electronics company Sony with Masaru Ibuka.

Early Life and Education

Akio Morita was born in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan. His family had a long history in making sake, miso, and soy sauce. Even though he was the oldest son, Akio was more interested in science.

He loved mathematics and physics. In 1944, he earned a degree in physics from Osaka Imperial University. During World War II, he served in the Imperial Japanese Navy. There, he met Masaru Ibuka, who would later become his business partner.

Founding Sony

After the war, in September 1945, Masaru Ibuka started a small radio repair shop in Tokyo. Akio Morita read about it in a newspaper. He decided to join Ibuka in Tokyo.

With some money from Morita's father, they started a company in 1946. It was first called Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation. They had about 20 employees.

Early Innovations

In 1949, their company created magnetic recording tape. A year later, in 1950, they sold Japan's first tape recorder. This was a big step for them.

Ibuka helped the company get a special license. This allowed them to use transistor technology from Bell Labs. Sony was one of the first companies to use transistors for everyday products.

In 1957, they made a small, pocket-sized radio. It was the first fully transistorized radio.

The Name Change to Sony

In 1958, Morita and Ibuka decided to change their company's name. They chose Sony Corporation. The name "Sony" came from "sonus," which is Latin for "sound." It also came from "Sonny-boys," a common American phrase.

Morita was very proud of Sony's products. When their new radio was a bit too big for a shirt pocket, he had his employees wear shirts with bigger pockets. This made the radio look "pocket-sized."

Expanding Globally

Morita started Sony Corporation of America (SONAM) in 1960. He noticed that American workers often moved between companies. This was different from Japan at the time.

When he returned to Japan, he encouraged experienced workers to join Sony. Many people joined the company this way. In 1961, Sony was the first Japanese company to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

In 1968, Morita created a joint company with CBS Records in Japan. This company made "software" like music for Sony's electronics.

Leadership and New Products

Morita became the president of Sony in 1971. In 1975, Sony released the first Betamax home videocassette recorder.

In 1976, Ibuka retired, and Morita became the chairman of Sony. In 1979, the famous Walkman was introduced. It was one of the world's first portable music players.

In 1982, Sony launched the world's first Compact Disc player, the Sony CDP-101. Sony and Philips worked together to create the Compact Disc itself. That same year, Sony introduced a 3.5-inch floppy disk. It quickly became a standard for computers.

In 1984, Sony launched the Discman series. These were portable CD players, part of the Walkman brand.

Growth and Acquisitions

Under Morita's leadership, Sony grew into many new areas. They wanted to connect movies, music, and electronics.

In 1988, Sony bought CBS Records Group. This included famous music labels like Columbia Records and Epic Records. In 1989, they also bought Columbia Pictures Entertainment, which owned Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures.

Norio Ohga took over as Sony's chief executive officer in 1989. Morita had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage in 1993 while playing tennis. He stepped down as Sony chairman in 1994.

Other Activities

Morita was also involved in other important groups. He was a vice chairman of the Japan Business Federation. He was also part of the "Wise Men's Group," which focused on economic relations between Japan and the U.S. He was the third Japanese chairman of the Trilateral Commission. His amateur radio call sign was JP1DPJ.

Awards and Honours

Akio Morita received many awards for his work:

• In 1972, he received the Golden Plate Award.
• In 1982, he was given the Albert Medal from the UK. He was the first Japanese person to receive this honor.
• In 1984, he received the prestigious Legion of Honour from France.
• In 1991, the Emperor of Japan awarded him the First Class Order of the Sacred Treasure.
• In 1993, he received an honorary British knighthood (KBE).
• In 1998, Time magazine named him one of the 20 most important business people of the 20th Century. He was the only Asian person on this list.
• After his death in 1999, he was given the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun.

Television commercials

• American Express 1984

Death

Akio Morita enjoyed playing golf and tennis. He also liked watching movies. In 1993, he had a stroke while playing tennis. He stepped down as Sony chairman in November 1994. On October 3, 1999, Morita passed away from pneumonia at the age of 78.

See also

In Spanish: Akio Morita para niños