1932

Matsushita spent a day visiting the head temple of a popular religious sect on the invitation of an acquaintance. He was struck by the sight of many followers energetically at work. As he thought over his impressions, he saw a parallel between the services that religion and business offer to humanity.

"Human beings need both physical and spiritual prosperity. Religion is a holy pursuit that guides people out of suffering toward happiness and peace of mind. Business, too, can be sacred in that it can provide the physical necessities required for human happiness. This should be the primary mission of business. "He decided he had to run the company in accordance with this perception. On May 5, 1932, Matsushita assembled employees to announce the company's new mission.

"The mission of a manufacturer is to overcome poverty by producing an abundant supply of goods. Even though water from a tap is a processed product with a price, no one objects if a passerby drinks from a roadside tap. That is because the supply of water is plentiful and its price is low. The mission of a manufacturer is to create material abundance by providing goods as plentiful and inexpensive as tap water. This is how we can banish poverty, bring happiness to people's lives and make this world into a paradise."
He then announced a 250-year plan for the company to fulfill its mission. This period would consist of ten 25-year periods, each divided into three phases, a ten-year construction phase, followed by a ten-year fully active phase, and then a five-year fulfillment phase.