Major Japanese manufacturer of consumer electronics.
Founded by Ibuka Masaru and Akio Morita in 1946 as Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corp., it adopted its present name in 1958. It began by making voltmeters, sound generators, and similar devices. Its first major consumer item was an audio tape recorder, introduced in 1950. Since then it has pioneered new technology for consumer products marketed worldwide, including the first pocket-sized transistor radio (1957) and a colour video cassette recorder (1969), and the Walkman portable radio. Its entertainment divisions include motion picture firms Columbia Tristar and Sony Pictures and recording labels Epic and Columbia.