was a Japanese industrialist who founded
Panasonic
formerly between 1935 and 2008 and the first incarnation of between 2008 and 2022, is a major Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation, headquartered in Kadoma, Osaka. It was founded by Kōnosuke Matsushita in 1918 as a lightbulb ...
, the largest Japanese consumer
electronics
The field of electronics is a branch of physics and electrical engineering that deals with the emission, behaviour and effects of electrons using electronic devices. Electronics uses active devices to control electron flow by amplification ...
company. Matsushita is referred to as the "God of Management" in Japan.
Childhood
Kōnosuke Matsushita was born on 27 November 1894 in
Wakayama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Wakayama Prefecture has a population of 944,320 () and has a geographic area of . Wakayama Prefecture borders Osaka Prefecture to the north, and Mie Prefecture and Nara Prefecture ...
. His father was an affluent landlord in the farming village of Wasa (part of present-day
Wakayama city) and was one of the wealthiest men of his community.
Teenage years
Shortly after Matsushita left school, he was sent away to Osaka to become an apprentice for a
hibachi store. Less than a year into his apprenticeship however, the business failed and Matsushita was left looking for other employment. He then applied for a job with the Osaka Electric Light Company, an electrical utility company. Over the next couple of years, he was promoted several times and his position rose with the company. During this time, Matsushita was introduced to one of his sister's friends, Mumeno Iue, and after a short courtship married her. Matsushita, now head of a new family, was well aware of his new responsibilities.
At the age of 22, he was promoted to the position of electrical inspector. It was during this time that Matsushita attempted to introduce his boss to the invention of a new and improved light socket that he had perfected in his spare time. His boss, however, was not enthusiastic.
Matsushita Electric Industrial Company
In 1917, Matsushita left Osaka Electric Light Company to set up his own company. Without capital, a formal education, or experience in manufacturing, it would appear the company would fail before it even began. He set up his shop in the basement of his tenement. With his wife, his brother-in-law, and several assistants, he began creating several samples of his product. He attempted to peddle the samples to wholesalers but was unsuccessful because he did not offer more than one product.
Matsushita's assistants left his company and he was left with only his wife and brother-in-law,
Toshio Iue
was a Japanese inventor and industrialist who founded Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. Prior to the founding of Sanyo, he played an influential role in the growth and development of Matsushita Electric Works, working closely alongside his brother-in-la ...
, who proved to be a capable salesman and manager. Matsushita would have eventually become bankrupt but he was "saved by an unexpected order for a thousand insulator plates for electric fans." From there, Matsushita was able to continue producing his light sockets. They became popular as wholesalers realized the product was better in quality and less expensive than comparable products in the market. The early years of the company were difficult: he once had to pawn his wife's
kimono
The is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn left side wrapped over right, unless the wearer is deceased. The kimono ...
when he found himself short on money. Matsushita's products were originally marketed under the name brand of "National" and later moved on to the more recognizable names of Panasonic, Quasar and Technics.
One of Matsushita's best products was his invention of a more efficient battery-powered
bicycle lamp
A headlamp is a lamp attached to the front of a vehicle to illuminate the road ahead. Headlamps are also often called headlights, but in the most precise usage, ''headlamp'' is the term for the device itself and ''headlight'' is the term for ...
. During the 1920s, bicycle lamps were candles or oil-burning lamps. They were highly inefficient as they usually only lasted for three hours. He created an oval lamp that used a battery for power and a lightbulb for illumination. He had to personally market his products to retail bicycle shops.
Expansion
Matsushita learned a very important lesson in terms of growing a company while he was trying to introduce his bicycle lamp to wholesalers. He realized that even if he had a product that was superior to anything out in the market it would not matter if he could not sell the product. As a result, Matsushita began devising ways to create sales channels for his products by concentrating less on manufacturing and more on building a sales force, which led to a retail store network and finally placed Matsushita's company on the map in Japan's electrical manufacturing and retail industry.
In 1929, he began setting up a new structure for his company. The company was structured as a parent company and branches of divisions that specialized in a particular product were created. There were three specific products that were being created in Matsushita's company at this time: the bicycle lamp and battery division, the electrical socket division, and the radio division. For each of these products, a national sales department was formed with regional offices established in strategic locations. These regional offices were responsible for the coordination of sales and manufacturing. Products were manufactured based upon the demand for the products. As a result, manufacturing was dependent on sales.
Post-war period
During the US occupation of Japan after World War II, General
Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was ...
decided to break up the ''
zaibatsu
is a Japanese term referring to industrial and financial vertically integrated business conglomerates in the Empire of Japan, whose influence and size allowed control over significant parts of the Japanese economy from the Meiji period unt ...
'' business conglomerates of Japan. Matsushita was in danger of being removed as president but was saved by a favorable petition signed by 15,000 employees. In 1947, Kōnosuke lent his brother-in-law Toshio to an underused manufacturing plant to manufacture bicycle lamps, a business that eventually became
Sanyo Electric.
From 1950 to 1973, Matsushita's company became one of the world's largest manufacturers of electrical goods, sold under well-known trademarks including
Panasonic
formerly between 1935 and 2008 and the first incarnation of between 2008 and 2022, is a major Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation, headquartered in Kadoma, Osaka. It was founded by Kōnosuke Matsushita in 1918 as a lightbulb ...
and
Technics. Matsushita stepped down as President of Panasonic in 1961 and was succeeded as president by his son-in-law,
Masaharu Matsushita
, was a Japanese businessman who served as the second President of Panasonic for sixteen years beginning in 1961. He was the son-in-law of Panasonic's founder, Konosuke Matsushita. Masaharu Matsushita has been credited with expanding Panasonic i ...
.
Konosuke Matsushita's two grandsons are Masayuki Matsushita, who is the current vice-chairman of
Panasonic
formerly between 1935 and 2008 and the first incarnation of between 2008 and 2022, is a major Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation, headquartered in Kadoma, Osaka. It was founded by Kōnosuke Matsushita in 1918 as a lightbulb ...
, and
Hiro Matsushita
, also known by , is a Japanese businessman and former racing driver. Matsushita is the first and only Japanese driver to win the Toyota Atlantic Championship (Pacific) in 1989 and also the first Japanese driver to race at the Indy 500. He is th ...
, who is a former driver in the
Champ Car
Champ Car World Series (CCWS) was the series sanctioned by Open-Wheel Racing Series Inc., or Champ Car, a sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing that operated from 2004 to 2008. It was the successor to Championship Auto Racing Teams ...
series and owns
Swift Engineering
Swift Engineering Inc. is an American spacecraft engineering firm that builds autonomous systems, helicopters, submarines, spacecraft, ground vehicles, robotics, and composite parts. Swift used to produce racing cars for open-wheel racing series ...
, an aerospace firm and race car constructing company which he bought in 1991. Hiro Matsushita is also the chairman of , which located in Kobe, Japan.
Konosuke Matsushita remained active in Panasonic's operations until his complete retirement in 1973. Since 1954, Matsushita also gained a significant shareholding in manufacturer
JVC
JVC (short for Japan Victor Company) is a Japanese brand owned by JVCKenwood corporation. Founded in 1927 as the Victor Talking Machine Company of Japan and later as , the company is best known for introducing Japan's first televisions and for ...
by forming an alliance. It still retains a 50% share today. In retirement, Matsushita focused on developing and explaining his social and commercial philosophies and wrote 44 published books. One of his books, entitled "Developing A Road To Peace And Happiness Through Prosperity", sold over four million copies. In 1979, at the age of 84, he founded the to train the future politicians and businessmen of Japan.
In 1987, he was awarded the Grand Cordon of the
Order of the Paulownia Flowers
The is an order presented by the Japanese government. Established in 1888 during the Meiji Restoration as the highest award in the Order of the Rising Sun; however, since 2003 it has been an Order in its own right. The only grade of the order i ...
.
Death
Chronic
lung
The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in humans and most other animals, including some snails and a small number of fish. In mammals and most other vertebrates, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of ...
problems led to his death from
pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severit ...
on 27 April 1989, at the age of 94. He died with personal assets worth US$3 billion, and left a company with US$42 billion in revenue business.
Awards and honours
National honour
*:
**
Grand Cordon of the
Order of the Paulownia Flowers
The is an order presented by the Japanese government. Established in 1888 during the Meiji Restoration as the highest award in the Order of the Rising Sun; however, since 2003 it has been an Order in its own right. The only grade of the order i ...
(29 April 1987)
**
Grand Cordon of the
Order of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese government, created on 10 April 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight f ...
(29 April 1981)
**
Grand Cordon of the
Order of the Sacred Treasure
The is a Japanese order, established on 4 January 1888 by Emperor Meiji as the Order of Meiji. Originally awarded in eight classes (from 8th to 1st, in ascending order of importance), since 2003 it has been awarded in six classes, the lowest tw ...
**
Recipient of the
Medal with Blue Ribbon
**
Recipient of the
Medal with Dark Blue Ribbon
**
Senior Third Rank
The court ranks of Japan, also known in Japanese as ''ikai'' (位階), are indications of an individual's court rank in Japan based on the system of the state. ''Ikai'' as a system was originally used in the Ritsuryo system, which was the politi ...
(27 April 1989; posthumous)
Foreign honour
* :
**The Commandeur de L'Ordre de la Couronne Award (1972)
*China:
**
China Reform Friendship Medal (2018)
* :
** Honorary Commander of the
Order of the Defender of the Realm
The Most Esteemed Order of the Defender of the Realm ( ms, Darjah Yang Mulia Pangkuan Negara) is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country. The Order Motto are 'Dipeliharakan Allah-Pangkuan Negara' (By the Grace ...
(P.M.N.) (1979)
Professorships and Directorships
Konosuke Matsushita was honoured at
Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is conside ...
by endowing a Professorship in International Strategy and Management. The official name of the course is ''The Konosuke Matsushita Professorship in International Strategy and Management''
Author of Books
*
Michi wo hiraku (1968) Open the path and often translated as ''The Path''
* Japan at the Brink (1976)
* Thoughts on Man (1982)
* Not for Bread Alone: A Business Ethos, A Management Ethic (1984)
* Quest for Prosperity (1988)
* As I See It (1989)
* Velvet Glove, Iron Fist: And 101 Other Dimensions of Leadership (1991)
* People before Products: The Human Factor in Business (1992)
* The Matsushita Perspective: A Business Philosophy Handbook (1997)
* The Heart of Management: Konosuke Matsushita's Enduring Insights (2002)
*My Way of Life and Thinking (2011) (Originally published in 1954)
*Practical Management Philosophy (2011) (Originally published in 1978)
*Nurturing Dreams – My Path in Life – An Autobiography by the Founder of Panasonic (2014) (Originally published in 1998)
Appears on the cover of
*
Life
Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energy ...
, Sep-1964, DETAILS: Meet Mr. Matsushita
*
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...
, 23 February 1962, DETAILS: Industrialist Matsushita
Further reading
* ''Matsushita Leadership'' by
John Paul Kotter,
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest publi ...
(1998)
* ''Matsushita Konosuke (1894–1989) His Life & His Legacy: A Collection of Essays in Honor of the Centenary of His Birth'' by Kōnosuke Matsushita, PHP Research Institute (1994)
* ''The Matsushita Perspective'', A Business Philosophy Handbook, Published by PHP Institute, Inc. (1st ed., 1997).
* ''Jinsei mondō'', dialogue with
Daisaku Ikeda
is a Japanese Buddhist philosopher, educator, author, and nuclear disarmament advocate. He served as the third president and then honorary president of the Soka Gakkai, the largest of Japan's new religious movements. Ikeda is the founding pre ...
published in Chinese (traditional), Chinese (simplified), Korean, and Japanese; Published by Ushio Shuppansha, Tōkyō (1st ed., 1975).
* ''The Matsushita Phenomenon'' by Rowland Gould published by the Diamond Publishing Company, Japan (1st edition, 1970).
* ''The Path'', by
Konosuke Matsushita, Published by
McGraw-Hill
McGraw Hill is an American educational publishing company and one of the "big three" educational publishers that publishes educational content, software, and services for pre-K through postgraduate education. The company also publishes refere ...
(2010)
* ''Konosuke Matsushita Memorial Foundation''
[http://matsushita-konosuke-zaidan.or.jp/en/ Konosuke Matsushita Memorial Foundation]
Matsushita family tree
See also
*
Panasonic
formerly between 1935 and 2008 and the first incarnation of between 2008 and 2022, is a major Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation, headquartered in Kadoma, Osaka. It was founded by Kōnosuke Matsushita in 1918 as a lightbulb ...
*
Masaharu Matsushita
, was a Japanese businessman who served as the second President of Panasonic for sixteen years beginning in 1961. He was the son-in-law of Panasonic's founder, Konosuke Matsushita. Masaharu Matsushita has been credited with expanding Panasonic i ...
*
Hiroyuki Matsushita
*
Konosuke Matsushita Museum
References
External links
*
PHP INTERFACE– PHP Institute, Inc's Official Website
Konosuke Matsushita.com – Konosuke Matsushita Official Website by PHP Institute, Inc.
Matsushita Memorial Library– Located in PHP Institute, Inc.'s building in Kyoto, Japan.
by Panasonic
The Matsushita Institute of Government and Management
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matsushita, Konosuke
1894 births
1989 deaths
Japanese billionaires
Japanese company founders
Panasonic
People from Wakayama (city)
Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun with Paulownia Flowers
20th-century Japanese inventors
20th-century Japanese businesspeople
Japanese industrialists
20th-century inventors
20th-century businesspeople
Shintoists
Member of the Mont Pelerin Society