1st Edition 2020 | Page 133

FOKUS -Muhammad Azam Badrol Akmam, Wan Arash Azzazi Johari, Shawal Hashimi, Nor Haidya Shafira Amir, Qahira Auni Mohamed Idrus, Rebecca Joy Aren Pilip, Rasyidah Zulkifli SASARAN EDISI 82 133 Akio Morita, the co-founder of Sony Corporation was born on January 26, 1921 in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan. Morita’s family was involved in a family business as sake, miso and soy sauce production in their village on the western coast of Chita Peninsula since 1665. He was the oldest of four siblings and his father Kyuzaemon, wanted him to take over the family business. “ When I was in high school my father bought me and electronic phonograph. The sound was fantastic. I was so impressed by the sound, I started to wonder how and why such sound came out. That’s when my interest in electronics began.” - -Morita. However, Morita found his true calling in mathematics and physics. He later studied physics at Osaka Imperial University and even assisted his professor in research for the Imperial Japanese Navy. He also signed up with the navy to continue his studies. After his graduation in 1944, Akio Morita worked as supervisor in a special project group of the Aviation Technology Center on thermal guidance weapons and night-vision gunsights. While he served in World War II, he met Masaru Ibuka, an electronic engineer 13 years older. The two became close friends and eventually co-founded Sony Corporation.