TOKYO -- Murata Manufacturing may not be a household name, but chances are its products are in your house and more than likely your pocket, too.
The company is a classic example of how Japanese parts makers not only built the country but also formed the backbone of the global electronics industry. Beginning in the 1970s and 80s, these companies followed big consumer brands like Sony, Panasonic and Toshiba into the rest of Asia, creating low-cost supply chains that span the entire region. The question now is how Murata and its peers -- who still produce the guts of the world's smartphones, TVs, cameras and cars -- can forge their own destinies amid continued technological and geopolitical upheaval.
