Made In Japan [Paperback]

"MADE IN JAPAN" starts with the social scenario prevalent in Japan at that time, the survival and hope conditions existing at the time of war with America. The book then showcases the life of Akio Morita born on 26-Jan-1921 in a place called Nagoya, Japan, starting from his childhood curiosity, interest and love towards the gizmos (then just phonographs and their electric siblings) to leading a small company, opened in a razed departmental store, to become one of the pioneers and world leaders in electronics consumer goods. It reveals the mystery behind the corporation that made others run for competition. It is a story of SONY, a company that is world leader in many electronic and IT products.
The book begins with Mr. Morita's account of the World War II, while giving a brief description of his parental background and his family tradition, thereby giving an insight into Japanese traditions of pre war period. While briefly recounting his childhood days, in a wealthy family, which was involved in the sake brewing business for fourteen generations. He had been groomed to be the successor of family business from the time he was in the third standard. At the age of ten, Morita's father made him attend all board meetings. He was taught to monitor the brewing process and evaluate the quality of sake brewed at their factories. He was also taught to deal with various people working for them. However, by the time Morita reached tenth standard, he realized that he was more interested in mathematics and physics. He pursued his interests and eventually, graduated in Physics from the Osaka Imperial University. Mr. Morita gives the message to youngsters about the kind of orientation they must possess during their childhood. The book then moves on to describe the rise of phoenix after Japan's postwar rubble.

He then narrates how immediately after his graduation, in 1944; he joined the Japanese Navy as a Lieutenant. And how at the Navy's Wartime Research Committee, Morita met Masaru Ibuka (Ibuka), an electronics engineer and how they became good friends. After the end of World War II, Morita accepted a faculty position at the Tokyo Institute of Technology (TIT) in Tokyo, where he once again met Ibuka. Ibuka had by then founded the Tokyo Tsushin Kenkyusho (Tokyo Telecommunications Research Institute). Morita started working for Ibuka's research institute on a part-time basis. In March 1946, Morita and Ibuka decided to start a new company.
Mr. Morita, in his book, elaborates how a seven-member company TOKYO TSUSHIN KOGYO founded in a burned-out departmental store, rose to be one of the worlds most respected MNC in the field of electronics. It is also very interesting to learn how the name Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha a tongue twister as per Mr. Morita changed to the world famous name SONY (derived from the Latin word for "sound") in 1958. He then continues narrating the management philosophy and practices, fundamental to Japanese tradition, adopted by him and Sony that are different from the old fashioned conventions followed in the world and which ultimately lead Sony to be the conqueror of market place. Here he says decision making is one of the most important factors for the success of any organization. On Management he shows how the fate of a business is actually in the hands of the youngest recruit on the staff, then goes on talking about how a school is different from a company which is very important for an aspiring manager or prospective management student.
He proceeds with the story by talking about competition where he also says that competition pushes you to innovate and innovation is the key to success. In the mean time he narrates about all the hurdles SONY crossed and how well he organized the international dealings to achieve the worldwide fame SONY is having now. Sony became one of the first Japanese companies to build a U.S. factory.
During his tenure at Sony, Morita introduced Japan's first transistor radio in 1955, the world's first all-transistor television in 1960 and the first home video tape recorder in 1965. Some of the most successful and famous Sony products include the Walkman personal cassette tape player, the Trinitron picture tube, computer micro diskettes the BetaMax and the Sony PlayStation. He also articulately analyzes, in a chronological manner, the events that brought about the uprising of Japanese economy and its emergence as an economic power. Sony's role in this feat is also conspicuously illustrated.
He then comes to a meticulous comparison between the Japanese and American styles, providing pros and cons of both the styles in a methodological manner. Here he says and shows with the help of examples how Japanese attitudes towards work culture seemed to be critically different from American attitudes. Using an interesting word called Corporate Philosophy he compares the styles present in America and Japan.
The book not only talks about SONY and Akio Morita but also about Japan. From the book we get to know a lot about Japan's technology, how they cope up with natural calamities and the measures they adopt to fight scarcity. Being an Indian (as Japan is ahead of India in terms of technology) I was thrilled to know about the technology they were using in there cars then.
As the number of pages left diminishes the book throws light on Japan's relationship with the rest of the world, with the help of statistics he compares Japan's through out performance with respect to other developed countries. Where from we get to see how organizations like SONY with able leaders like Mr. Akio Morita are leading to the economic and social development of their country.

Akio Morita also concludes the reason for falling behind of US in the global economic competition. Towards the end of the book, he speculates the present status of Sony and Japan and finally ends with a strong note talking about the methods to be adopted in order to achieve global economic prosperity. The last line of his biography goes in this fashion, "The challenge is great; success depends only on the strength of your will."

WHY A PROSPECTIVE MANAGER MUST READ THE BOOK

This is an excellent book for budding entrepreneurs and managers and gives insights as to how small companies can take on big companies and win. This book gives the basic fundamentals for being successful in business. It is a learning journey at each step, especially for the budding managers. It teaches the qualities like innovation and entrepreneurship. This book teaches us patience and perseverance in growing a business. Akio Morita shows us that before being a good speaker, a leader must be a listener.

WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THE BOOK

Through out our life we are involved in petty matters; time has come for us to think about something big, something great such that it adds to the benefit of the people such that the mankind as a whole remembers us. We must have a mission statement in life. A mission statement embodies our values and leads us to success.
We must remember that SONY was not built in a day it took a lot of time, a lot of determination, devotion, hard work and sacrifice. So we find out that to achieve something great in life there is not short cuts.
This book gives a new definition to innovation as a tool of success. Akio Morita once said about his most successful product 'Walkman' that, 'I don't think any amount of market research could have told us that our product will be successful.' He was of the belief that if the product is good enough and you are sure of its quality and market it properly, then it will definitely be successful.

'Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning. It is the key to success.'

In all, the book is a must read for enthusiasts who would like to discover the ideology, attitude and ventures of one of the most successful men, who was able to turn the tag- "Made in Japan" from a term of derision to a sign of quality.

Review by Shreyas Shrivastava (III Yr. B.Tech., ABV-IIITM, GWL)
Email:shreyas_chet@yahoo.co.in

Then there are all the claims which are simply out-and-out false, such as Japan having the world's best construction technology (it actually has perhaps the worst in the First World, as the Kobe earthquake unfortunately demonstrated), and Japan being a nation fanatically devoted to not wasting anything (when it only recently discovered the concept of "second-hand goods" instead of throwing furniture and clothing away, and Japanese garbage trucks groan under the weight of the world's worst overpackaging).

Reading between the lines, a person can see the roots of so many of the problems that Japan faces today. For example, Morita spends a good deal of words attacking the excess of lawyers in the United States. While this can, of course, sometimes be a serious problem, it also gives U.S. citizens a way to protect themselves against companies and the government. Japan's citizens, on the other hand, without an accessible court system, are almost completely at the mercy of bureaucrats and executives. Complaints about dangerous products or chemicals in drinking water are simply ignored, because they lack any threat of legal action. In another example, Morita praises the "trust" and agreements without contracts that exist among Japanese corporations, painting the picture of a warm-hearted buddy-system. In reality, this "trust" is a death pact, as bloated bankrupt inefficient companies are propped up by their buddies, instead of letting them fall and create openings for fresh and innovative new entrepreneurs.

Other than the glimpses into Sony's history and corporate culture, this book is only interesting as a museum piece - yet another in the flood of "Japan is going to take over" books that came out in the Eighties. Although, of course, considering all the "Internet companies are going to take over" books that came out in the Nineties, not even this is a uniquely "Japanese" phenomenon.