Konosuke Matsushita - Teenage Years

Teenage Years

Shortly after Matsushita left school, he was sent away to Osaka to become an apprentice for a hibachi store. Not even a year into his apprenticeship, the hibachi shop failed and Matsushita was left looking for another source of income. It was during this time that the use of electricity was becoming more widespread in Japan and Matsushita felt that this technological discovery would be the dawn of a new era. Matsushita was determined to be a part of this industry and this propelled him to apply for a job with the Osaka Electric Light Company, an electrical utility company. Originally, he was hired to work as a wiring assistant but because of his willingness to learn, he quickly became an electrician. Over the next couple of years, Matsushita’s position rose within the company as he was promoted several times. During this time, Matsushita was introduced to one of his sister's friends and shortly thereafter, he married Mumeno Iue. Matsushita was now responsible for a family and this newfound burden was not lost on him. At the age of twenty-two, Matsushita was promoted to the position of an electrical inspector. Such a position was considered somewhat prestigious as the salary was considerably attractive, given the fact that Matsushita was, to a certain degree, uneducated. It was during this time frame that Matsushita attempted to introduce his boss to an invention of a new and improved light socket that he had perfected in his spare time. However, his boss was less than enthusiastic and Matsushita became predictably deflated. Because Matsushita no longer felt challenged in his career, he soon grew dissatisfied with his job. This became the turning point in his life.