World War II left Japan in ruins, but it still had plenty of talented scientists and engineers. One of these was Masaru Ibuka, who had worked in the research division of the Japanese Navy during the war. There, he met fellow scientist Akio Morita, who came from a wealthy family. In 1946 the duo set up the Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation, operating out of a department store.
A lack of resources and the need to generate cash flow meant it initially focused on basic consumer products, such as a heated cushion, sold under a fictitious name to protect the new firm from complaints. But the firm would quickly switch to more sophisticated products, selling the first Japanese tape recorder, the G-Type, in 1950.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
-
What Santander’s takeover of TSB means for customersSantander is set to buy rival TSB for £2.65 billion. What does it mean for customers, and could we see the TSB brand disappear from the high street?
-
How to find active fund managers that are worth paying forActive funds are unlikely to beat a cheap tracker on average, but can be valuable in certain markets
-
31 August 1957: the Federation of Malaya declares independence from the UKFeatures On this day in 1957, after ten years of preparation, the Federation of Malaya became an independent nation.
-
13 April 1960: the first satellite navigation system is launchedFeatures On this day in 1960, Nasa sent the Transit 1B satellite into orbit to provide positioning for the US Navy’s fleet of Polaris ballistic missile submarines.
-
9 April 1838: National Gallery opens in Trafalgar SquareFeatures On this day in 1838, William Wilkins’ new National Gallery building in Trafalgar Square opened to the public.
-
3 March 1962: British Antarctic Territory is createdFeatures On this day in 1962, Britain formed the British Antarctic Territory administered from the Falkland Islands.
-
10 March 2000: the dotcom bubble peaks
Features Tech mania fanned by the dawning of the internet age inflated the dotcom bubble to maximum extent, on this day in 2000.
-
9 March 1776: Adam Smith publishes 'The Wealth of Nations'
Features On this day in 1776, Adam Smith, the “father of modern economics”, published his hugely influential book The Wealth of Nations.
-
8 March 1817: the New York Stock Exchange is formedFeatures On this day in 1817, a group of brokers moved out of a New York coffee house to form what would become the biggest stock exchange in the world.
-
7 March 1969: Queen Elizabeth II officially opens the Victoria Line
Features On this day in 1969, Queen Elizabeth II took only her second trip on the tube to officially open the underground’s newest line – the Victoria Line.
