
Chapter 4 Dreams Running Unbounded - As Chairman of the Board and later as Executive Advisor
Featured on the cover of TIME and LIFE magazines: in 1962 at age 67


In 1963, Konosuke appeared on NHK, Japan’s public TV channel, to speak with Prime Minister Hayato Ikeda. Konosuke advocated spiritual education and other means of developing human resources, which he stated were vital to the nation’s future. His comments proved tremendously popular with the public.
As word
of Matsushita Electric's success began to spread abroad, Konosuke
Matsushita was beginning to be recognized as one of the world's great
entrepreneurs. Numerous foreign VIPs came to tour the company, including
U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy, Indian Prime Minister Indira
Gandhi, and Yugoslavian President Tito. Konosuke personally showed
each of them around the company facilities, often engaging them in
a stimulating exchange of ideas.
The foreign media soon turned their attention to Panasonic
and its founder.
In February 1962, Konosuke himself was featured on the cover of TIME,
America's most popular weekly news magazine. And in 1963, Konosuke
and Mumeno Matsushita attended what was billed as "the party of the
century," the 40th anniversary celebration of TIME magazine in New
York, joining other cover celebrities there.
Moreover, in September of 1964, Konosuke was featured in LIFE magazine,
and was described as a "top industrialist", "the biggest money-maker",
"philosopher", "magazine publisher" and "best-selling author". The
media embraced Konosuke Matsushita and brought Matsushita Electric
into worldwide prominence.
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