Panasonic パナソニック

Panasonic was founded in 1918 in Osaka by Konosuke Matsushita as Matsushita Electric Housewares Manufacturing Works, a tiny operation of just three people making an improved electrical attachment plug. It steadily expanded its product line through the 1920s with items like double cluster sockets and bicycle lamps, and in 1932 Matsushita laid out the company's founding management philosophy, which still guides the group today.

The company grew into a diversified electronics and appliance maker, selling for decades under brand names such as National and Panasonic before unifying globally under the Panasonic brand and renaming itself Panasonic Corporation in 2008. Today it makes everything from home appliances and batteries to automotive and housing solutions, and is a major battery supplier for electric vehicles including Tesla.