Sony’s Post-War Story: How Two Engineers Rebuilt a Nation’s Pride
In September 1945, Japan was devastated. In the bomb-damaged Shirokiya department store building in Tokyo's Nihonbashi district, engineer Masaru
In September 1945, Japan was devastated. In the bomb-damaged Shirokiya department store building in Tokyo’s Nihonbashi district, engineer Masaru Ibuka started a radio repair shop. On May 7, 1946, physicist Akio Morita, age 25, joined him to co-found Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation with just eight employees and capital of ¥190,000. Sony’s post-war story would become one of the greatest comeback tales in business history.
Starting From the Ruins
The founding prospectus Ibuka wrote reveals their ambitious philosophy. He declared their purpose was not merely profit, but to create an ideal workplace where engineers could feel the joy of technological innovation and be aware of their mission to society. This vision would guide the company through decades of transformation as Sony’s post-war story unfolded.
Their first product was an electric rice cooker. It failed dramatically, producing either overcooked mush or undercooked grain depending on the rice type, water quantity, and unpredictable electric current. The product sold fewer than 100 units and was never formally released to market. Despite this humiliating start, Ibuka and Morita persisted, repairing radios and developing new devices.
The Transistor Gamble
In 1952, Ibuka traveled to the United States and learned about transistor technology developed by Bell Labs. He immediately recognized its potential. Sony purchased the licensing rights for $25,000, a substantial investment for the struggling company. By 1955, they had developed Japan’s first transistor radio, becoming only the second company in the world to produce a commercially available transistor radio.
That same year brought a defining moment in Sony’s post-war story. A major American company offered to purchase 100,000 transistor radios, but insisted the products carry their brand name, not Sony’s. Ibuka and the Tokyo management team urged Morita to accept the desperately needed order. He refused.
The American company mocked his decision, pointing to their 50-year history. Morita responded: “In fifty years’ time we will have made the name Sony as famous as yours. So it’s no, thank you.” This refusal to become an anonymous manufacturer shaped their path to becoming a global brand rather than remaining a subcontractor.
A Name for the World
The company name itself reflected forward-thinking global strategy. In 1955, Morita insisted on finding a name that people worldwide could easily pronounce. Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation and its Japanese abbreviation Totsuko would not work internationally. After extensive deliberation, they chose “Sony,” combining the Latin “sonus” meaning sound with “sonny,” American slang suggesting a bright young person.
There was internal opposition to using katakana instead of traditional kanji characters for a company name. But Morita and Ibuka persisted. The name Sony was registered in katakana in 1955 and officially adopted as the company name three years later in 1958, marking another chapter in Sony’s post-war story of international ambition.
The Walkman Story
In 1978, honorary chairman Ibuka requested developers customize a portable cassette player for personal use. He wanted to enjoy stereo music during overseas business flights. The engineering team modified their existing Pressman recording device, removing the recording function and adding stereo capability to create a playback-only model.
After testing the device, Ibuka suggested Morita try it. Morita immediately recognized commercial potential. Many within Sony and retail stores expressed skepticism about a cassette player lacking recording capability. Morita pressed forward anyway. The Walkman launched in July 1979 and became a massive success, transforming portable music and creating an entirely new product category.
The Walkman changed not just how people listened to music, but how they experienced daily life, establishing the concept of personal portable entertainment that would define consumer electronics for decades.
Building Global Presence
Morita understood that global brand building required more than exporting products. In 1962, Sony opened a showroom on New York’s Fifth Avenue, a bold move for a Japanese company. Morita believed prominent presence in the world’s business capital would drive international demand.
In 1963, Morita took the unprecedented step of relocating his entire family to New York for what was planned as a two-year posting. At the time, having a Japanese company vice president live overseas was virtually unthinkable. Morita wanted to truly understand American consumers and business culture from the inside. This immersive approach became central to Sony’s post-war story of global expansion.
Merit Over Hierarchy
In his 1966 book, Morita argued that people should not be judged on academic background, age, gender, or nationality. Sony fostered a culture of open debate regardless of hierarchy. Despite their close friendship, Morita and Ibuka, who was 13 years older, frequently had heated discussions that appeared to onlookers like fights. Morita believed meaningful progress required diverse viewpoints, not unanimous agreement.
This culture of meritocracy and open debate, unusual in traditional Japanese business, attracted exceptional engineering talent and enabled the innovation that made Sony synonymous with cutting-edge consumer electronics.
A Nation’s Pride Restored
By 1971, Morita appeared on the cover of Time magazine, earning the nickname “Mr. Sony” and personifying Japan’s remarkable economic recovery. In 1999, while the world reflected on twentieth-century industrial achievements, Sony’s video tape recorder was the only non-American product mentioned among innovations that shaped the modern global economy.
Morita suffered a cerebral hemorrhage in 1993 and passed away on October 3, 1999, at age 78. By then, the company had completed its transformation from eight employees in a bombed-out building to a global technology leader that had restored national pride through innovation and perseverance. Sony’s post-war story stands as a testament to vision and determination.
From the ashes of defeat, two engineers built more than a company. They proved that belief in Japanese ingenuity could create world-class innovation. Their legacy demonstrates that even from ruins, greatness can emerge.
Sources:
- Nippon.com: “Sony’s Morita Akio: Marking 100 Years Since the Birth of a Japanese Business Legend”: https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-topics/g01027/
- Wikipedia: “History of Sony”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Sony
- PBS: “Sony Corporation Background”: https://www.pbs.org/transistor/background1/corgs/sony.html
- GSMArena: “It all began with a failed rice cooker”: https://www.gsmarena.com/it_all_began_with_a_failed_rice_cooker__a_glimpse_at_sonys_history-blog-13661.php
- Medium: “The First Product From What Would Be Sony Was a Huge Flop”: https://medium.com/knowledge-stew/the-first-product-from-what-would-be-sony-was-a-huge-flop-23da3563f8a5
