Panasonic

Lore & Background

Panasonic is a Japanese multinational electronics manufacturer headquartered in Kadoma, Osaka, Japan. Its defining characteristic is its evolution from a small vendor of duplex lamp sockets, founded in 1918 by Kōnosuke Matsushita in the Fukushima ward of Osaka, into a global conglomerate. The company was incorporated in 1935 and, after decades of operating under the corporate name Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., it was renamed Panasonic Corporation in 2008 to align with its global brand. In 2022, it reorganized as a holding company, Panasonic Holdings Corporation, with its Lifestyle Updates Business Division adopting the Panasonic Corporation name. The company’s range is exceptionally broad, extending far beyond consumer electronics—where it was the world’s largest manufacturer in the late 20th century—to include rechargeable batteries, automotive and avionic systems, industrial equipment, and home renovation and construction. Its brand history is notable: the Panasonic name, derived from “pan” (all) and “sonic” (sound), was first used in 1955 for audio speakers and lamps outside Japan, while the National brand had been used since 1927 for bicycle lamps. Other brands include Technics (audio equipment, revived in 2014) and Quasar (acquired from Motorola in 1974). The company phased out the Sanyo brand in 2012 and the National brand globally by 2010. In 2025, Panasonic ranked 6th in the world for patent applications published under the WIPO PCT System, with 2,094 applications. It is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the Nikkei 225 and TOPIX 100 indices, with a secondary listing on the Nagoya Stock Exchange.

Reader's Guide

Panasonic’s significance stems from its evolution from a small vendor of duplex lamp sockets into a global electronics powerhouse. It was the world’s largest consumer electronics manufacturer in the late 20th century, and its products—from televisions and microwave ovens to rechargeable batteries and industrial systems—have shaped modern life. The company’s brand evolution, from National to Panasonic and the revival of Technics, reflects its adaptability. Founded in 1918 by Kōnosuke Matsushita in Osaka, the company initially produced lamp sockets, then bicycle lamps under the National brand in 1927. During World War II, it operated factories in Japan and Asia making electrical components, appliances, and vacuum tubes. After the war, it regrouped as a keiretsu and supplied radios, appliances, and bicycles during Japan’s post-war boom. In 1961, Matsushita met American dealers and began producing television sets for the U.S. market under the Panasonic brand, later expanding to Europe in 1979. By 1963, its plant produced eight TV sets per minute, accounting for 21.8% of Japan’s cathode-ray tube television output. The company also acquired Motorola’s Quasar brand in 1974 and later Sanyo in 2009. In 2025, WIPO ranked Panasonic 6th globally for patent applications, with 2,094 published that year. Its corporate name changed from Matsushita Electric Industrial to Panasonic Corporation in 2008, and in 2022 it reorganized into a holding company, Panasonic Holdings Corporation, with its lifestyle division retaining the Panasonic name. The brand phased out National globally by 2010 and Sanyo by 2012, adopting the slogan “A Better Life, A Better World.”

Did You Know?

• The Panasonic brand name was created from the words 'pan' (all) and 'sonic' (sound) for markets outside Japan.