▁child ▁to ▁take ▁over ▁the ▁family ▁business . ▁Ak io , ▁however , ▁found ▁his ▁true ▁calling ▁in ▁mathematics ▁and ▁physics , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁he ▁graduated ▁from ▁Os aka ▁Imperial ▁University ▁with ▁a ▁degree ▁in ▁physics . ▁He ▁was ▁later ▁commission ed ▁as ▁a ▁sub - lie utenant ▁in ▁the ▁Imperial ▁Japanese ▁Navy , ▁and ▁served ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁During ▁his ▁service , ▁Mor ita ▁met ▁his ▁future ▁business ▁partner ▁Mas aru ▁I bu ka ▁in ▁the ▁Navy ' s ▁W art ime ▁Research ▁Committee . ▁ ▁Sony ▁On ▁May ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 9 4 6 , ▁I bu ka ▁founded ▁Tokyo ▁Ts ush in ▁K ogy o ▁Kab ush iki ▁Ka ish a ▁( T ok yo ▁Tele communic ations ▁Engineering ▁Corporation , ▁the ▁for er un ner ▁of ▁Sony ▁Corporation ) ▁with ▁about ▁ 2 0 ▁employees ▁and ▁initial ▁capital ▁of ▁ ¥ 1 9 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁I bu ka ▁was ▁ 3 8 ▁years ▁old . ▁Mor ita , ▁ 2 5 ▁years ▁old ▁joined ▁Tokyo ▁Ts ush in ▁K ogy o ▁Kab ush iki ▁Ka ish a ▁shortly ▁after ▁its ▁in ception , ▁with ▁Mor ita ' s ▁family ▁invest ing ▁in ▁Sony ▁during ▁the ▁early ▁period ▁and ▁being ▁the ▁largest ▁share holder . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁the ▁company ▁developed ▁magnetic ▁recording ▁t ape ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁sold ▁the ▁first ▁t ape ▁rec order ▁in ▁Japan