Tokyo, Japan - It is with great sadness that Sony Corporation announced the loss of Masaru Ibuka, Founder and Chief Advisor, Sony Corporation. Mr. Ibuka passed away on Friday, December 19, 1997, at 03:38 a.m. at his home in Tokyo. The cause of death was heart failure. Mr. Ibuka was 89 years old. He is survived by one son and two daughters.

A private funeral service took place at 12:00 noon on Monday, December 22, at the Shinagawa Christian Church, 4-7-40, Kitashinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo. The wake, also for immediate family only, was held on Sunday, December 21, at 6:00 p.m. at the same location. A public funeral took place at January 21, by Sony Corporation.

Mr. Ibuka was born in 1908 in Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture. Upon graduating from Waseda University's School of Science and Engineering in 1933, he joined Photo-Chemical Laboratory, a company whose main business was the recording and processing of motion picture film. In May 1946, Mr. Ibuka founded Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo K.K. (Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation) along with Akio Morita. Early research into magnetic powders and tape base material led to the development of magnetic recording tape in 1949. A year later, the company developed and marketed the first tape recorder in Japan.

Several important developments followed, including Japan's first transistor radio in 1955 and the world's first transistor television in 1960, to name a few. In 1958, Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo became known as Sony Corporation. In 1967, Mr. Ibuka managed the R&D project team that was responsible for the development of the Trinitron color television system.

Mr. Ibuka is acclaimed as the innovator who led Sony to create new and unique products that broke from the Japanese corporate tradition of merely copying technology and ideas from the west. In doing so he not only succeeded in creating Sony Corporation, but changed the entire face of Japanese industry as well.

Commenting on today's loss, Sony Corporation Chairman Norio Ohga said: The passing away of Masaru Ibuka, our founder and chief advisor, has created a sadness to which nothing can compare. I first met him during my days in college, and I remember it as only yesterday that he was politely explaining concepts to me and eagerly listening with deep interest to what I was saying, even though I was but a mere student at the time.

"Masaru Ibuka was a person of an entirely different dimension. In the middle of the desolation of post-war Japan, he set out a grand aim in the founding prospectus of the company, and then made unending efforts to create a company that could realize this fine goal. Every single employee from Akio Morita on down worked to achieve Masaru Ibuka's dream. I myself also inherited his spirit and have worked to continue it. The greatness of Masaru Ibuka was not only his ability to create profit, but his way of always looking at the company from a cultural point of view. Even when there was very little profit being made by the company, he took a part of the profit to create the Sony Fund for Education to promote science education among elementary and junior high school students, also worked hard in the area of infant education. He saw his ideas come to fruition one after one, clearly standing apart from the great number of people who have ideas but never realize them. Although we know this is possible in life, it is only the rare man who can achieve this greatness.

"To us, the passing of Masaru Ibuka means that we have lost that which supports our spirits and hearts But we will continue our efforts to ensure that the philosophy that Masaru Ibuka left with us always remains alive at the core of Sony."

Sony Corporation President Nobuyuki Idei added: I learned with great sadness and grief that Sony's founder and chief advisor Masaru Ibuka has passed away. When I first assumed the presidency of Sony, Mr. Ibuka asked me, 'what would you like to have as a present to celebrate your new assignment?' Later, I received a fountain pen from him as a gift, and it has become a lifetime treasure for me. I have learned many things from him and today, I feel a great loss.

"Mr. Ibuka has been at the heart of Sony's philosophy. He has sowed the seeds of deep conviction that our products must bring joy and fun to users. Mr. Ibuka always asked himself what was at the core of 'making things,' and thought in broad terms of how these products could enhance people's lives and cultures.

"Sony would not have had its management resources that it has today were it not for Mr. Ibuka's philosophy and the hard work of management and colleagues who carried out his principles throughout the years.

"In this ever changing world, I feel that it is our duty to make sure that the principles set by Mr. Ibuka continue to be at the core of Sony's philosophy, and that we pass on his legacy to our future generations. I would like to express my appreciation to Mr. Ibuka for his leadership and in making this company into a corporation of global excellence as it is today."

Masaru Ibuka Founder and Chief Advisor Sony Corporation

• April 1908
  Born in Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan
• March 1933
  Graduated from Waseda University, School of Science and Engineering
• March 1933
  Invented a modulated-light transmission system, awarded a prize at the Paris Exhibition
• May 1946
  Founded Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo K.K. (Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation), former name of Sony Corporation
• May 1949
  Developed magnetic recording tapes
• November 1950
  President, Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo K.K.
• November 1952
  Obtained license for transistors from Western Electric Co..
• January 1958
  Company name officially changed to Sony Corporation
• January 1967
  Supervised team that developed the Trinitron Color Television system (team composed of Messrs. Susumu Yoshida, Akio Ohkoshi and Senri Miyaoka)
• June 1971
  Chairman, Sony Corporation
• January 1976
  Honorary Chairman, Sony Corporation
• June 1990
  Founder and Honorary Chairman, Sony Corporation
• November 1994
  Founder and Chief Advisor, Sony Corporation

Other Positions

• Lifetime Trustee, Keizai Doyukai (Japan Committee for Economic Development) [current]
• Honorary Chairman, Board of Directors, Early Development Association [current]
• Foreign Member, IVA (Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences)
• Life Fellow, IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
• Counsellor, Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation (President, 1972 - 1991)
• Foreign Associate, The National Academy of Engineering
• President, Japan Audio Society (1979 - 1992)
• Chairman, Boy scouts of Nippon (1985 - 1994)
• Chairman, The Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) (1987 - 1992)

Awards

• 1960
  Awarded Medal of Honor with Blue Ribbon from H.M. The Emperor of Japan
• 1964
  Received Distinguished Services Award from the Institute of Electrical Communication Engineers of Japan
• 1972
  Received Founders Medal from IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
• 1976
  Honorary Doctor of Engineering, Sophia University, Tokyo
• 1978
  Decorated by H.M. the Emperor of Japan, with the First Class Order of the Sacred Treasure
• 1979
  Honorary Doctor of Science, Waseda University, Tokyo
• 1981
  Received Humanism and Technology Award from the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies
• 1986
  Decorated by H.M. the Emperor of Japan, with the First Class Order of the Rising Sun with the GrandCordon
• 1986
  Decorated by H.M. the King of Sweden, with Commander First Class of the Royal Order of the Polar Star
• 1986
  Awarded Eduard Rhein "Ring of Honor"
• 1989
  Designated Person of Cultural Merits by Ministry of Education
• 1992
  Decorated by H.M. the Emperor of Japan, with Order of Culture
• 1993
  Named Honorary Citizen of Tokyo
• 1994
  Honorary Doctor of Science, Brown University, Rhode Island,U.S.A.