One of the oldest Japanese electronics manufacturers, Aiwa was founded in 1951 and found great success in the 1970s and 1980s with its audio/video products. Its many contributions to the world of consumer electronics include: Japan's first cassette tape recorder, Japan's first stereo cassette deck, the first manufacturer to offer DAT, and was the first to offer a recording headphone stereo system. Aiwa faced serious competition in the 1990s, and as a result slid towards bankruptcy, only to be saved at the last minute by Sony Corporation, which currently owns Aiwa.
