Panasonic Holdings Corporation
Electronics
Panasonic began in 1918, when 23-year-old Konosuke Matsushita — with only ¥100 in savings — started making bicycle lamps in his Osaka home, working from a tiny rented room with his wife and brother-in-law. The lamp was a hit, and Matsushita's management philosophy — the 'Seven Principles' and his famous 'water tank philosophy' of abundant production — turned the company into Japan's biggest electronics maker and made him known as the 'God of Management'.
The modern Panasonic spans consumer electronics (its TV, washing machine, and refrigerator lines), batteries (it is Tesla's long-time battery partner, supplying the cells for its EVs through a joint venture in Nevada), automotive systems (infotainment and cockpit electronics), and B2B solutions (factory automation, HVAC systems, and the 'KAIZEN' consulting arm). Its energy business is now the crown jewel — Panasonic is one of the world's largest lithium-ion battery makers.
Headquartered in Osaka with about 240,000 employees and annual revenue near ¥8.4 trillion (US$56 billion), Panasonic has shed its unprofitable consumer businesses and reorganized into a holding company structure, betting on EV batteries, supply chain software, and green energy. For the electronics and automotive industries, Panasonic remains a giant — the company that taught Japan how to manufacture, and now powers the electric car era.
