A Visit to Sony Museum in Tokyo, Japan

Today, we're starting a new section here at Softpedia, one that will span the next couple of days, during which time we shall be posting a series of articles that were born in Japan. Long story short, we were invited by Sony to visit their Headquarters and some of their facilities in Japan, the heart of the world-renowned company. Today, we start off with our visit to the Sony Museum, a place that all gadget and technology enthusiasts should visit.

If you find yourself in Tokyo, the city that breathes technology, you shouldn’t miss out on Sony’s museum, a place where the company has gathered a series of products and artifacts that can tell a story or two about the company’s evolution. For example, you might just find that old Sony walkman that used to bring music in your life, everywhere you went. You could also find a series of products that Sony designed and launched, but you never got a chance to enjoy.

If you are part of an organized group, then the entire Sony Museum experience will kick off with a video-recorded message from the creators of Sony, namely Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita. After this, you'll be invited to take a look around the museum and notice all the different products that Sony released throughout its history, some of which have revolutionized the industry. Unfortunately, you'll not be able to play with any of these, since they are now considered antiques and are preserved accordingly.

In addition to different Walkmans, Mavica cameras, some of the first Bravia TV sets or some of the company's first Cybershot products, you will also see a few of Sony's professional products, including some very old cameras that were used to shot different events or movies. You can find a gallery with just a few of the Sony gadgets and products that are available for your viewing pleasure, right here on Softpedia, in the gallery below.

 

Among the things you'll see in the pictures, chances are you will recognize the TPS-L2, the first commercially available personal stereo cassette player, the product that gave birth to one of Sony's most successful product lines, the Walkman. In addition, there's also the TR-55, the first Sony transistor radio, which also became the first of its kind in Japan. An evolved model came out later on, in the form of the TR-63, which became the world's smallest at the time of release. There's also the D-50, the world's first component CD player, demonstrating Sony's dedication in providing consumers with the most unique products on the market.

 
 

We should not forget the PCG-505, one of the lightest and smallest notebook PCs at the time. This model is one that has inspired Sony to continue to improve the design of its laptops, providing consumers with thinner and lighter models, consequently spawning some of the most portable PCs on the market.

 
 


Because we were part of a larger group, with journalists from all over Europe, Sony decided to give us a glimpse of some of its more recent products, namely that old AIBO toy robot that we used to see on TV and only a few could afford. The model that you can see in the attached video is ERS311, which Sony released back in 2001. After having a chance to play with the AIBO toy robot, we felt a bit sorry that Sony decided to pull the plug on the project back in 2006. But who knows, maybe all those AIBO fans will soon get an update from the Japanese company, which could be secretly working on a fresh new robot toy.

In addition to all of the above, we also noticed some things that were not marketed globally, like the Electric Rice cooker, a 1945 prototype, which was really a very basic cooking device. Unfortunately, this failed to provide the expected results, prematurely ending its production. A more successful product was the 1946 Electric Cushion, which was sold under the fictitious brand “Ginza Nessauru Shokai” (Ginza Heating Company) and became an instant hit.

You can also see how the Sony logo evolved throughout the years, or some of the prizes Sony received for various products.