ibuka

Ibuka is a Japanese surname. It is written with the kanji 井深, typically read as Ibuka, and literally combines the characters for “well” and “deep.” The name is relatively uncommon outside of Japan and is most closely associated with one of Japan’s influential postwar business figures.

Notable people with the surname include Masaru Ibuka (井深大, 1908–1997), a Japanese entrepreneur who co-founded Sony Corporation with Akio Morita in 1946. Ibuka helped steer the company from a small Tokyo electronics workshop into a global electronics and media conglomerate. Under his leadership, Sony played a significant role in the development and commercialization of consumer electronics and contributed to the spread of postwar Japanese industrial influence. The company originated as Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo Co., Ltd., and was renamed Sony in 1958 as part of its international branding strategy. Ibuka remained a central figure at Sony for many years, shaping product strategy, research and development, and international expansion.

In contemporary usage, Ibuka primarily appears as a surname in Japan and is recognized chiefly through Masaru Ibuka’s association with Sony. The name itself does not denote a specific organization, movement, or concept beyond its familial origin.