Kōnosuke Matsushita

Kōnosuke Matsushita (松下 幸之助, Matsushita Kōnosuke, 27 November 1894 – 27 April 1989) was a Japanese industrialist who founded Panasonic, the largest Japanese consumer electronics company.

Kōnosuke Matsushita
松下 幸之助
Matsushita in 1929
Born	(1894-11-27)27 November 1894 Wakayama, Japan
Died	27 April 1989(1989-04-27) (aged 94) Moriguchi, Osaka, Japan
Nationality	Japanese
Occupation(s)	Businessman and industrialist
Known for	Founder of Panasonic
Spouse	Mumeno Matsushita
Children	Sachiko Matsushita
Relatives	Masaharu Matsushita (son-in-law)
Family	Masayuki Matsushita (grandson) Hiro Matsushita (grandson)
Awards	Order of the House of Orange Decorated Commander in the Order of Orange (1958)<ref[1] Order of the Sacred Treasure Order of the Rising Sun (29 April 1981) Order of the Paulownia Flowers (29 April 1987) Order of the Defender of the Realm (Panglima Mangku Negara which carries the title "Tan Sri") Medal with Blue Ribbon Medal with Dark Blue Ribbon Honorary Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm China Reform Friendship Medal (2018)

Awards and honours

Los Angeles Mayor Sam Yorty presenting a certificate proclaiming July 15th as Matsushita Day to Kōnosuke and Mumeno at Los Angeles City Hall. Kōnosuke is holding a nine-inch Panasonic television, a gift to Los Angeles. (1963)

National honour

•  Japan:
  • Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers (29 April 1987)
  • Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (29 April 1981)
  • Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure
  • Recipient of the Medal with Blue Ribbon
  • Recipient of the Medal with Dark Blue Ribbon
  • Senior Third Rank (April 27, 1989; posthumous)

Foreign honour

•  Belgium:
  • The Commandeur de L'Ordre de la Couronne Award (1972)
•  Malaysia:
  • Honorary Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (P.M.N.) (1979)^[2]

Professorships and Directorships

Konosuke Matsushita was honoured at Stanford University 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^[3]

Further reading

• Matsushita Leadership by John Paul Kotter, Simon & Schuster (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 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 Kōnosuke Matsushita, Published by McGraw-Hill (2010)
• Konosuke Matsushita Memorial Foundation^[4]