Since we're on the topic of Japan and Sony, I thought I'd tell you a fun fact.
My Grampa (Fred Tushinsky) and his brothers brought Sony to america.

QUOTE
The four Tushinsky brothers, of which Fred is the youngest, are the family that made Sony a household name in America. In 1957 their company 'Superscope' discovered Sony, then a relatively small company while on a trip to Japan. The meeting resulted in a long-term contract to be the sole and exclusive distributor of Sony tape recorder products in the USA.
Link/SourceQUOTE
In 1957, Superscope's founders, Joseph, Irving, Nathan, and Fred Tushinsky were visiting Japan when they met with the executives of a fledgling Japanese electronics company named Sony. The Tushinskys discovered that Sony had seven stereo tape recorders, the world's first with built-in amplifiers. Soon realizing the potential for the tape recorders for the U.S. market, the Tushinskys within months contracted for exclusive rights to distribute them in the United States. The partnership was ideal. The Tushinskys' understanding of the needs of the American marketplace, combined with Sony's design and manufacturing expertise, propelled both companies to prominence. But despite their mutual origins, they remained separate entities. Superscope continued to expand and grow independently.
Even as Sony in 1960 dropped the distributor of its transistor radios, Agrod, Superscope continued to market and distribute Sony tape recorders exclusively in the United States until January 1, 1975, at which time Sony acquired back distribution rights to its line of tape recorders from Superscope. But by 1973 Superscope, having seen the writing on the wall, was producing its own line of professional portable cassette recorders for the worldwide market. During the 1960's Sony released a variety of Sony/Superscope branded reel-to-reel and cassette tape recorders.
Link/SourceCan't hurt to know a little history of the company you're discussing.