The Founder, Konosuke Matsushita

Learn about the founder of Panasonic and how he developed his business into a leading global corporation.

The Early Years

  1. Birth: 1894
  2. Apprenticeship in Osaka: 1904
  3. Job at the Osaka Electric Light Company: 1910
  4. Setting up his own company and starting a socket business: 1917

The Beginnings of an Electronics Giant

  1. Business establishment: 1918
  2. Designing and selling bullet-shaped, battery-powered bicycle lamps: 1923
  3. First use of the National brand: 1927
  4. Launching the "Super-Iron": 1927
  5. Starting radio production: 1931
  6. Announcing the company's true mission at the first company foundation meeting: 1932
  7. Implementing an autonomous management system - Divisional System: 1933
  8. Establishing a new factory and Head Office in Kadoma, Osaka: 1933
  9. Establishing an Employee Training Institute: 1934
  10. The Company Incorporated: 1935
  11. War in the Pacific Break Out Effort to Produce High Quality Products Continues: 1940

Postwar period to the Electric Application Boom

  1. Establishing the Labor Union: 1946
  2. Establishing the PHP Institute: 1946
  3. Visiting the United States: 1951
  4. Technical cooperation agreement with Philips: 1952
  5. Announcing a Five-Year Expansion Plan: 1956
  6. Electrification boom: late 1950's
  7. Decorated Commander in the Order of Orange-Nassau by the Queen of the Netherlands: 1958
  8. Establishing Matsushita Electric Corporation of America(MECA): 1959

Dreams Running Unbounded

  1. Resigning and becoming chairman: 1961
  2. Featured on the cover of TIME and LIFE magazines: 1962
  3. Making a speech at the 13th International Management Conference in New York: 1963
  4. Inviting the presidents of all sales companies and distributors to a three-day conference: 1964
  5. Announcing 'Dam Management': 1965
  6. Publishing "Japan at the Brink": 1974
  7. Visiting China: 1979
  8. Opening the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management: 1980
  9. Presenting the First Japan Prize: 1985
  10. Passes away: 1989

Related Links

Panasonic Museum

The Panasonic Museum aims to pass on Konosuke Matsushita's lofty goal, and the products, technologies and passion of its predecessors; the museum was established for everyone, to pass on the "heart" of Panasonic to future generations.

Time Capsule EXPO'70

Panasonic Corporation and The Mainichi Newspapers agreed to undertake a joint time capsule project in celebration of the Japan World Exposition 1970: EXPO '70.

Matsushita Memorial Library

This Library aims to present a wide range of Konosuke Matsushita's thoughts that give deep insight into his life, way of thinking, his management philosophy and his ideas on the governing of a nation, together with his perspectives on world politics.