Masao Morita, the son of the late Sony co-founder Akio Morita, has been named chairman of Sony Music Entertainment Japan (SMEJ).
Morita will also assume the position of representative director of Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan, Sony’s film concern in Japan. Both positions become effective June 24, it was announced today (June 19).
Morita’s task will be to help Sony return to its conventional position as the label with the largest market share in the Japanese music industry. According to SoundScan Japan (SSJ) the company slipped from this perch in 2007, based on physical sales, and has not returned. It had held the top spot since 1998, the year SoundScan Japan started releasing such market data.
Morita is currently on the SMEJ board of directors. He had taken the position of CEO of SMEJ in April 2003 but gave it up the next year to become head of the parent company, Sony Corporation.