Born: 26-Jan-1921
Birthplace: Nagoya, Japan
Died: 3-Oct-1999
Location of death: Tokyo, Japan
Cause of death: Pneumonia

Gender: Male
Race or Ethnicity: Asian
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Business

Nationality: Japan
Executive summary: Co-Founder of Sony

Military service: Japanese Navy (Lt., WWII, 1944-45)

With Masaru Ibuka he co-founded Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo K.K. in 1946, which changed name to Sony (derived from the Latin word for "sound") in 1958. In order to enhance international sales, at this time the company took the unprecedented move to spell its name in Katakana, the alphabet used in Japan to transliterate foreign words. Sony marketed the first consumer transistor radio and transistor TV. Began trading ADR's on the New York Stock Exchange in 1961. He oversaw Sony's acquisition of CBS Records in 1988 and Columbia Pictures in 1989.

Father: Kyuzaemon

    High School: High School Number Eight
    University: BS Physics, Osaka Imperial University (1944)

    Sony Co-Founder 1946, CEO 1971-, Chairman 1976-94
    Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame

Author of books:
Made in Japan: Akio Morita and Sony (1986, memoir)

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