Hiroshi Takahashi, chairman and president of Sony China, has been closely connected to Shanghai since the 1990s. Having lived in this city for 12 years, he has witnessed the reform and opening up of China and the rapid development of Shanghai. Having studied at Beijing University, he can speak not only fluent Mandarin, but also a little Shanghainese.

Hiroshi Takahashi, chairman and president of Sony China

"Starting business in China was the most memorable experience for me," said Takahashi. He found that Sony’s products had been scarcely used by the Chinese consumers when he first came to Shanghai in 1994. Since then，Sony has opened two factories in Shanghai to produce electronic products such as video cameras.“It was only after the factory had been opened that more business opportunities became available,” he said.

In 2016, Hiroshi Takahashi came to Shanghai again and was impressed by the great changes in the country."The city has amazed me with its advanced business, culture and lifestyle, along with the convenience and changes brought to everyone's lives with the development of the Internet and technology," he said.

Under his leadership, more electronic products from Sony have made their global debuts in China’s market since 2018. 8K smart TVs, international award-winning noise cancelling headphones, full frame mirrorless cameras and next-generation game consoles are some of the flagship products widely loved by Chinese consumers. From 2018 to 2020, Sony's tax contribution in Shanghai hit record highs in succession.

Hiroshi Takahashi gives a speech at the 2021 Sony TV new product launch

Hiroshi Takahashi was honored with a Magnolia Gold Award in 2021 in recognition of his contribution to the development of Shanghai.

Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng and Hiroshi Takahashi (Left)

"I deeply felt the changes in Shanghai when I came to Shanghai again to work and live. We are following the trend, gradually expanding our business scope from manufacturing and marketing to the cultural and entertainment industry." Sony repositioned itself as a "creative entertainment company" in 2019 expecting to actively develop various businesses in China, including film, music, games and animation.

Hiroshi Takahashi believes that Shanghai has an excellent business environment, which is the best soil for business development."By establishing the China headquarters of our entertainment industry in Shanghai, we look forward to attracting more outstanding young talents in the future, developing their talents and giving full play to their creativity and imagination in various fields to promote the entertainment industry throughout Shanghai and the whole of China," Hiroshi Takahashi said.

Story by Fan Yicheng

Translated by Zhao Chunyuan