TOKYO (AFP) ― Sony will sell properties at a prestigious Tokyo site where it had its headquarters for six decades, as the once-world beating firm struggles to improve its bottom line, reports said on Friday.

The company is looking for a buyer for buildings that once served as the control tower for its sprawling operations, the Nikkei daily said, in a move that stands as neat signifier for the diminished fortunes of the consumer electronic giant.

The properties are in the Gotenyama area near Shinagawa railway station, where land prices have been on the rise recently.

The properties are expected to fetch around 15 billion yen, the economic paper said.

Jiji Press news agency said the sale was intended to help make up for losses from Sony’s slumping electronics business.