Here, we share episodes about Konosuke Matsushita, the founder of the Panasonic Group, from our company's historical records.
This second installment features the Statues of Pioneers of Science and Industry, erected at the then Matsushita Electric Industrial head office to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Panasonic Group.
2024.08.08
Stories behind Panasonic History
Episode 02: Statues of Pioneers of Science and Industry
Series:
- Konosuke Matsushita
The Statues of Pioneers of Science and Industry is an installation comprising 11 individual statues. In the center of a fountain stands a full-body statue of Thomas Alva Edison (American inventor), surrounded by the busts of Sakichi Toyoda (Japanese inventor), Guglielmo Marconi (Italian inventor), Georg Simon Ohm (German physicist), Shozan Sakuma (Japanese scholar), Gennai Hiraga (Japanese scholar), Michael Faraday (British physicist and chemist), André-Marie Ampère (French physicist), Donsai Hashimoto (Japanese scholar), Takakazu Seki (Japanese mathematician), and Anton Frederik Philips (Dutch industrialist).
Road guides for the coming generations
Upon entering the main gate of the Panasonic Group head office in Kadoma, Osaka, you can see the group of statues near the center of the grounds.
These statues, depicting Edison and others, were erected to honor the legacies of these pioneers, who contributed so much to the development of science and industry, and to pay respect and gratitude to their achievements. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of Matsushita Electric, Edison's standing statue was completed in 1965, followed by the busts of the ten others, including Shozan Sakuma, by 1968.
"We must be encouraged anew to follow in the footsteps of these pioneers and develop even more advanced technology and science that we can proudly offer the world," said Konosuke. "I hope these statues will be good guides for the coming generations."
In his congratulatory speech at the unveiling ceremony, Taizo Ishida, then chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation, said, "We owe the modern civilization we enjoy to these great pioneers. The installation of these statues is a great achievement, and I would like to express my sincere admiration."
The diplomat Wolfgang Galinsky, representing West Germany, also praised the completion of the statutes, saying, "Looking at these statues, visitors from overseas will learn that scientific and technological progress is possible through the peaceful efforts of the world's people."
Facing Edison
Konosuke giving a speech at the Edison centennial celebration held at the head office (1967)
In the center of the statues, at a higher level, is a man of effort, who fascinated Konosuke.
At first glance, it appears that the statue is looking at the light bulb in its hand, but if you take a closer look, you will see that its gaze is directed elsewhere. In fact, it is looking at Konosuke's former office. According to the sculptor, Konosuke said, "Ideally, I would like to face Edison." Understanding that Konosuke wanted to have a wordless dialogue with Edison, the sculptor appropriately set the statue's height, posture, and direction of gaze.
Edison was special to Konosuke. Edison had been treated as a failure in elementary school and dropped out after only three months. Without the benefit of good teachers, Edison regarded everything in the world as his teacher and aspired to learn accordingly. This attitude resonated with Konosuke, and throughout his life he deeply respected Edison. When he founded National Electric Bulb Co., Ltd. in 1936, he had a large picture of Edison hung in his office.
In 1973, five years after the statues were completed, Konosuke said at a meeting of technical directors, "As you see the statue of Edison when you come to the head office, I want you to feel something. Do you feel any emotion when you see the face of Edison? If you do not feel anything, I think it is a bit presumptuous for you to be proud of yourself as a full-fledged engineer."
"If we look at everything as our teacher and try to learn from it with a sunao (untrapped) mind, then the paths are infinite." Respecting Konosuke's wish, which is represented in the statues of the great pioneers, we hope to create new technologies and products that we can proudly offer to the world as the Panasonic Group.
While Edison (1847–1931) is known as a thinker with more than 1,000 remarkable inventions to his name, he was also an entrepreneur who commercialized his inventions and helped make life better for people. In particular, the invention and commercialization of the light bulb provided the opportunity to bring electricity to ordinary households, thus promoting home electrification, which is considered a foundation of modern civilization.
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