As a journalist, I have met many world leaders, but it was Akio Morita who made me ask myself "How can anyone be this charming?"

No Japanese manager had ever been so original in his ideas and so dynamic in action, and faced life's tribulations with such cheerfulness. He didn't just pursue profit for his company; he was a great man who thought about the happiness of others, and who won trust for Japan on the world's stage. I shall never forget the kindness in his smile and in the way he looked at you from behind those glasses, even in the middle of an interview.

Seiichi Kanise
(International Journalist, Professor at Meiji University School of Global Japanese Studies)