From a war-damaged Tokyo radio repair shop to a global entertainment and electronics giant
QUICK FACTS
Est. 1946 — best known for PlayStation consoles, cameras, and consumer electronics.
HISTORY
Sony was founded in 1946 in war-damaged Tokyo by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita as Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo (Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation), initially repairing radios and building small electronics. The company adopted the 'Sony' brand name in 1955 and officially renamed itself Sony Corporation in 1958, choosing a name that would be easy to pronounce worldwide.
Sony built its reputation on consumer electronics breakthroughs — Japan's first transistor radio, the Trinitron television, and the Walkman portable cassette player in 1979, which changed how people listened to music on the go. It later expanded into gaming with the PlayStation in 1994, and into entertainment through Sony Music and Sony Pictures, making it one of the few companies spanning hardware, gaming, and media content.
PRODUCTS
Portable cassette player launched 1979, popularized personal audio
Video game console line launched 1994, among the best-selling ever
Influential CRT television technology introduced in 1968
TIMELINE
This page is compiled from publicly available company history and is provided for general reference only. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, please consult the brand's official website.