In 1968, Norio Ohga was appointed senior general manager of CBS/Sony Records, a joint venture between Sony and CBS. Through his aggressive business expansion, the company grew into Japan's largest record company.
Norio Ohga not only played a key role in the promotion of analog recording media such as tapes, but was also a pioneer in leading the industry into the digital audio era. His outstanding leadership skills were fully demonstrated in the development of key technologies in 1982, 1992 and 1999 to establish new audio recording formats such as CD, MD and SACD.
Traditional records, under the leadership of Norio Ohga, were transformed into digital CDs with functions such as fast forward and reverse.
With the development of MD and the recording function, the size has been reduced to the point that it can be carried around, and a random song selection function has been added.
In 1988 and 1989, Norio Ohga completed the mergers and acquisitions of CBS Records (now Sony Music Entertainment Co., Ltd.) and Columbia Pictures Entertainment Co., Ltd. (now Sony Pictures Entertainment Co., Ltd.).
Having fame but still making music. Although he is very busy at work at Sony, he still cannot forget his profession as a baritone, and tries to find a balance in it. He has both the shrewdness of a businessman and the sensitivity of an artist. In appearance and demeanor, he not only has the composure of a banker, but also has the adventurous spirit of a pilot.
Mr. Norio Ohga has conducted world-class orchestras including the Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, and St. Petersburg Philharmonic, and he knows the characteristics of each famous orchestra in the world. Nippon News Network reported that Norio Ohga, the former president of Sony Corporation, died in a hospital in Tokyo at 9:14 a.m. on the 23rd. He was 81 years old.
Promoted Sony to sell the world's first CD
Dahe realized the sound quality potential of CD media early. In the 1970s, he insisted that CDs would replace vinyl records, despite skepticism and opposition. During the development process, he insisted on setting the outer diameter of the CD to 12 centimeters, so that one disc could record 75 minutes of sound to completely record Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
During his tenure at Sony, Dahe vigorously promoted the development and application of compact discs (CDs), achieving Sony's major transformation from an electronics manufacturer to an entertainment industry giant. As an opera singer, Dahe was not satisfied with the quality of traditional audio and video products such as tapes. He believed that CD had unique potential in this area and advocated investment and development, which was once opposed by the company's senior management. At that time, there was no unified standard for CD production. During the development process, Oga discovered that a CD with an outer diameter of 12 cm was enough to completely record Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, and set this specification as a production standard, which is still used today. Sony sold the world's first CD in 1982. Five years later, sales of CD products exceeded that of vinyl records in Japan.
He also pushed Sony to enter the gaming industry, and the Sony PS game console that was later born is still favored by the public.
Oga advocated the creation of products that "touch the heartstrings of customers" and emphasized that the appearance and feel of a product are as important as its quality, which became Sony's product philosophy. Dahe attaches great importance to the creation of brand awareness. When he was the director of the design office, he single-handedly planned the company logo of "SONY" and was committed to promoting it to internationalization. In 1989, despite opposition, Ohga pushed hard for Sony to acquire Columbia Pictures in the United States, setting a record for the largest amount of overseas mergers and acquisitions by a Japanese company at the time, and becoming Japan's largest record publisher. Contributed to the globalization and comprehensive development of Sony Corporation.
Spent huge sums of money to support the Japanese classical music industry
Dahe is also an outstanding social activist. According to reports from Japanese media such as the "Yomiuri Shimbun", Oga once served as the main person in charge of important social and economic groups such as the Japan Electronics Machinery Industry Association, the Japan Business Federation, the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and made contributions to the development of Japan's economic industry. contributed. Dahe contributed to the successful signing of the Japan-US Semiconductor Agreement in 1996 and has been committed to promoting reform and innovation in the Japanese business community.
Oga is also very concerned about the Japanese music industry. When the Japanese classical music industry was in financial difficulties, he reorganized the Japan Music and Art Promotion Association into the Sony Music and Art Promotion Association to provide funds for the development of Japanese music, art and culture. Support, and vigorously explore and cultivate musical talents. After retiring in 2003, Dahe went to world-famous orchestras to participate in concert conductors. Ohga also used 1.6 billion yen in pension funds to support the construction of local public music facilities and built the Karuizawa Ohga Concert Hall.
CNN Japan quoted Howard Stringer, chairman and CEO of Sony, as saying, "It is no exaggeration to say that Sony has grown from an audiovisual products manufacturing company to today's business encompassing music, movies, A giant in the comprehensive entertainment industry such as games, Oga's vision is indispensable. It is precisely because of his persistence that Sony has achieved great success in areas where other Japanese peers have failed."