Playboy Interview: Akio Morita

August, 1982

A conundrum for our times: What would life be like on the planet in 1982 without Japanese consumer products? Answer: Dull.It was about 30 years ago that a young Japanese businessman visited the West and was deeply humiliated to learn that "Made in Japan" was an international synonym for shoddiness--a phrase that produced jokes and laughter. Today, the laughter is heard mainly on the way to the bank as Akio Morita, 61, the cofounder and the chairman of the Sony Corporation, continues to...

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