Sony's journey began in 1946 when Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita founded Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo K.K. in Tokyo, Japan. Initially, the company focused on repairing electrical equipment and developing various electronic devices.

One of their early endeavors was the development of an electric rice cooker called the "Rice Cooker Type G." However, this product did not perform well commercially due to technical issues and limitations of the time.

Despite the setback with the rice cooker, Ibuka and Morita continued to innovate. In 1949, they developed a tape recorder prototype, which they called the Type-G. This device was based on a failed experiment with the rice cooker's heating element but showed promise as a high-quality tape recorder.

The Type-G tape recorder marked Sony's entry into the consumer electronics market. It gained attention for its innovative design and superior performance compared to existing tape recorders. This success encouraged Ibuka and Morita to pursue further developments in audio technology.

So, while the rice cooker was Sony's first attempt at a consumer product, it was the innovative spirit and willingness to learn from failures that ultimately led to the development of the Type-G tape recorder and Sony's subsequent success in the electronics industry.