How Sony Shaped Steve Jobs’ Vision

The Japanese Influence Behind Apple

It’s no secret that the Walkman influenced the iPod. And of course, Sony’s broader impact on Apple has been widely acknowledged, which makes sense given Sony's role as one of the most important tech companies of the 20th century. But the influence runs deeper. What truly shaped Apple’s early ethos wasn't just Sony, but a broader set of Japanese values: simplicity, craftsmanship, and a deep respect for the user experience. Steve Jobs didn’t just admire Sony’s products. He absorbed the cultural DNA behind them and reinterpreted it through a Western lens. Apple’s design language and user-first approach weren’t born in isolation, they were built on a foundation laid decades earlier across the Pacific. From the art prints that captivated him to the ceramics that refined his aesthetic, Jobs saw in Japan, and especially in Sony, a blueprint for fusing art and technology into tools that transformed lives.

Jobs’ journey with Japan began in the living room of his childhood friend Bill Fernandez,…