Konosuke Matsushita

Kōnosuke Matsushita was a Japanese industrialist who founded Panasonic, the largest Japanese consumer electronics company. He is widely regarded as the "God of Management" in Japan. He started his career as an apprentice for a hibachi store, but later joined the Osaka Electric Light Company as an inspector. He invented a new and improved light socket in his spare time, but his boss was not interested in it. He decided to leave the company and start his own business in 1917. He set up his shop in the basement of his tenement and began producing light sockets, bicycle lamps, and other electrical products. He faced many challenges and hardships, but he persevered and expanded his business. He adopted the brand name "National" for his products and later changed it to "Panasonic". He also diversified his business into other fields, such as housing, education, publishing, and philanthropy. He established the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management, the PHP Institute, and the Konosuke Matsushita Museum. He was a visionary leader who advocated the principles of peace, happiness, and prosperity. He was also a prolific writer and speaker who shared his insights and wisdom on management, philosophy, and spirituality. He received many honors and awards, such as the Order of the Rising Sun, the Order of the Paulownia Flowers, and the China Reform Friendship Medal. He died of pneumonia on April 27, 1989, at the age of 94. He left behind a legacy of innovation, excellence, and social responsibility.