Producer
Murata Manufacturing
Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Nagaokakyo, Kyoto; TSE: 6981; ~¥2T revenue) is a Japanese electronic components manufacturer that acquired Sony Energy Devices Corporation (Sony's battery division) in 2017 for approximately $142M, inheriting Sony's 18650 cylindrical cell manufacturing expertise. Murata's battery division produces lithium-ion cells and battery packs for professional electronics, wearables, and medical devices. Murata's 18650 cells are used in some professional radio battery packs — the same cell format used in laptop batteries and early Tesla vehicles. Murata's battery manufacturing operates from Koriyama (Fukushima Prefecture), inherited from Sony. Despite the Sony heritage, Murata is a smaller player vs. Chinese Li-ion manufacturers in commodity applications but retains premium positioning in high-reliability professional electronics where Sony's quality legacy matters.
3
Inputs supplied
3
Goods downstream
3
Facilities
0
Stories
What they make
3 inputs Murata Manufacturing supplies
Click an input to see every good that depends on it, every country that produces it, and every other company in the supply chain.
Where it shows up
Goods downstream
Essential goods that depend on something Murata Manufacturing makes — pick one to see the full supply chain.
Where they make it
3 facilities
Murata Battery Manufacturing (Koriyama, Fukushima) →
JPFukushima Prefecture · manufacturing
Murata's primary Li-ion battery manufacturing facility at Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture — inherited from Sony Energy Devices Corporation (acquired 2017). Produces 18650 cylindrical cells and battery packs for professional electronics, medical devices, and power tools. The Koriyama facility has Sony's legacy quality manufacturing systems — ISO 9001, TS 16949 automotive quality methods applied to industrial battery production. This facility was part of the post-Fukushima industrial recovery; Murata invested significantly in Koriyama operations post-acquisition. Source: https://www.murata.com/en-us/about/profile/batteries
Murata Energy (Former Sony Energy Devices) Koriyama Plant (Fukushima) →
JPFukushima Prefecture · manufacturing
Murata's battery manufacturing facility in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture — the former Sony Energy Devices Corporation plant acquired by Murata in 2017. This is the site where Sony continued lithium cobalt oxide battery production after inventing the LCO cell chemistry in 1991. The facility now produces small-format LCO cells (thin, flexible, coin formats) for wearables, hearing aids, and IoT under Murata branding. Koriyama is also the location of AGC Electronics' EUV photomask blank plant — coincidentally making Koriyama a concentration point for two entirely unrelated critical supply chains. Source: https://www.murata.com/en-us/about/newsroom/news/product/battery/2017/0801
Murata Okayama — SAW/BAW RF Filter Production (Yasu, Shiga) →
JPShiga · manufacturing
Murata's primary SAW (Surface Acoustic Wave) and BAW (Bulk Acoustic Wave) RF filter production; key supplier of resonator filters for 5G smartphone front-ends; Murata dominates SAW filter market with ~40% global share. SAW filters are used in every 5G smartphone.
What else they do
Business segments
The company's full revenue map — where this supply-chain role fits within their broader business.
Capacitors (MLCC)
42%Inductors & Coils
18%Wireless Modules & Connectivity
16%Li-ion Battery Packs (Sony legacy)
14%Sensors & Actuators
10%
Intelligence
What's known
Sourced claims about this company's role in supply chains — chokepoints, concentration, incidents, dual-use connections.
Did you know2017
Sony Corporation invented the lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) rechargeable battery cell in 1991 — one of the most consequential energy technology discoveries of the 20th century — and commercialized it in the Sony TR-1 camcorder that same year. The LCO cell started the entire consumer electronics battery revolution: iPod, iPhone, laptop computers, wireless earbuds all depend on chemistry Sony developed. Sony's battery business was then sold to Murata Manufacturing in 2017 for approximately ¥17.5B ($175M) — a company whose primary products are multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) and passive electronic components found on circuit boards. The company that invented modern battery technology no longer makes batteries; the company that bought that technology is primarily known for making tiny ceramic components used in circuit board decoupling. Murata is now the steward of Sony's lithium-ion legacy, and most people who know Sony batteries have never heard of Murata.
Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. ↗Origin2023
Murata Manufacturing was founded in 1944 in Kyoto, Japan by Akira Murata — at the height of WWII, making ferroelectric ceramic materials. Kyoto was spared from US strategic bombing during WWII due to its cultural and historical significance (a decision attributed partly to Henry Stimson's wartime recommendation), meaning Murata's founding infrastructure survived intact. The post-war ceramic expertise became the foundation for multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), which Murata grew to dominate globally. In 2017, Murata acquired Sony Energy Devices Corporation for ~$142M, inheriting Sony's battery manufacturing heritage and 18650 cylindrical cell production.
Murata Manufacturing ↗