Great Figures of the World Series | Index

First posted on April 21, 2026, the irregular project "Great Figures of the World Series"
was turned into a regular series starting May 18, 2026.

In the "Great Figures of the World Series," rather than explaining their achievements,
we will explain them in a "biographical" style, focusing on

"why they came up with that idea,"
"why they were able to see it at the time,"
"what kind of world they were seeing,"
"how they changed the structure of life,"

and also

"what kind of person the founder was,"
"how the founder's personality shaped the corporate culture and company atmosphere."

Please read on to discover what lay behind their great achievements.

Episode 1 Konosuke Matsushita, Founder of Matsushita Electric (now Panasonic)
➤ An industrialist who shaped the Japanese management model, the god of management
➤ Transformed electrical appliances from luxury goods into everyday infrastructure for the common people

Episode 2 Shinjiro Torii, Founder of Kotobukiya (now Suntory HD)
➤ An industrialist who rooted Western liquor culture in Japan
➤ Created a new market for "Western liquor that suits Japanese tastes"

Episode 3 Soichiro Honda, Founder of Honda Motor (now Honda)
➤ A genius from a small town factory who surprised the world with technology
➤ Transformed motorcycles and cars from items for the wealthy into "transportation for the common people"

Episode 4 Momofuku Ando, Founder of Nissin Foods
➤The creator of the world's first instant ramen
➤ Sold the value of "reducing cooking time by 57 minutes"

Episode 5 Akio Morita, Founder of Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo (now SONY)
➤ The man who pushed Japanese products to become a global brand
➤ Transformed "cheap Japanese-made" into "coveted Japanese-made"

Episode 6 Steve Jobs, Founder of Apple
➤ A revolutionary who designed experiences and fused technology with art to change the world
➤ Created an era where machines are chosen based on emotion

Episode 7 Masaru Ibuka, Founder of Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo (now SONY)
➤ The man who led Japanese technology to the world with free-thinking ideas
➤ Embodied the idea that "engineers create the future" rather than being sales-driven

Episode 8 Tokuji Hayakawa, Founder of Hayakawa Electric Industry (now Sharp)
➤ The man who invented the mechanical pencil
➤ Transformed "small daily inconveniences" into a massive market

Episode 9 Toshio Iue, Founder of Sanyo Electric (SANYO)
➤ The man who significantly reduced domestic labor for women and changed lifestyles
➤ Reduced "heavy household labor" with the washing machine

Episode 10 Henry Ford, Founder of Ford Motor Company
➤ The man who realized democratization through mass production
➤ Liberated the automobile from being a toy for the wealthy to being for the general household

Episode 11 Sam Walton, Founder of Walmart
➤ The man who sparked a regional consumption revolution
➤ Overturned the established theory that "rural areas are not profitable"

Episode 12 Masao Ogura, Founder of Yamato Transport
➤ The man who democratized personal logistics
➤ Transformed logistics from a corporate service into household infrastructure

Episode 13 Shojiro Ishibashi, Founder of Bridgestone Tire (now Bridgestone)
➤ The man who achieved the globalization of the footwear industry
➤ Elevated "just a tire" into a national industry

Episode 14 Yoshisuke Aikawa, Founder of the Nissan Concern
➤ The man who built one of Japan's largest industrial empires
➤ Designed not just companies, but the "industry itself"

Episode 15 Sazo Idemitsu, Founder of Idemitsu Shokai (now Idemitsu Kosan)
➤ The man who built a giant oil company based on "respect for humanity"
➤ Prioritized "employees and the nation" over profits

Episode 16 Yusaku Watanabe, Founder of Ube Industries (now UBE)
➤ The man who grew a giant chemical company from a coal mining town
➤ Transformed a coal mining town into an "integrated industrial city"

Episode 17 Teijiro Inoue, Founder of Rengo Paperboard (now Rengo)
➤ The man who sparked a logistics revolution with cardboard
➤ Transformed the wooden box culture into a cardboard culture

Episode 18 Kumahachi Aburaya, Founder of Kameno-i Ryokan (Beppu Onsen)
➤ The man who laid the foundation for Japan's tourism industry
➤ Transformed hot spring resorts from "waiting" to "attracting tourism"

Episode 19 Ichizo Kobayashi, Founder of the Hankyu Group
➤ The man who created "the city itself" through railways
➤ Transformed railways from "transportation" into "urban development"

Episode 20 Keita Goto, Founder of the Tokyu Group
➤ The man who created a massive metropolitan area through railways and real estate
➤ Integrated railways, real estate, and department stores

Episode 21 Hideo Edo: The Restorer of Mitsui Fudosan
➤The man who pioneered Japan's skyscraper urban development
➤ Transformed "vacant land" into "economic space"

Episode 22 Yasujiro Tsutsumi: Founder of the Seibu Group
➤ The man who built one of the largest post-war zaibatsu through railways and real estate
➤ Linked universities, tourism, and housing with railways as the starting point

Episode 23 Seiji Tsutsumi: Founder of the Saison Group
➤ The man who changed the Japanese lifestyle through consumption and culture
➤ Shifted from "selling goods" to "selling values"

Episode 24 Isao Nakauchi: Founder of Daiei
➤ The man who revolutionized distribution and destroyed Japanese price levels
➤ Broke the common sense that "good things are expensive"

Episode 25 Chubei Itoh: Founder of Itochu and Marubeni
➤ The man who built a global trading company from an Omi merchant background
➤ Formed a "system for selling" rather than just "selling"

Episode 26 Kiyoshi Matsumoto: Founder of Matsumoto Kiyoshi
➤ The man who solved consumers' inconveniences through systems
➤ Created a life infrastructure rather than just a pharmacy

Episode 27 Hirotaro Higuchi: The Restorer of Asahi Breweries
➤ The man who turned the underdog into a challenger
➤ Redrew the industry map with "Super Dry"

Episode 28 Den Fujita: Founder of McDonald's Japan
➤ The man who changed Japan's food culture with hamburgers
➤ Created a "new consumer culture"

Episode 29 Hiromasa Ezoe: Founder of Recruit
➤ The man who reconnected "people and companies" through information
➤ Built a platform using paper

Episode 30 Nathan Rothschild: Founder of the Rothschild banking dynasty
➤ The man who moved global finance
➤ Proved that the speed of information governs nations

Episode 31 Levi Strauss: Founder of Levi's
➤ The man who created the world's most famous workwear
➤ Turned workwear into fashion

Episode 32 John D. Rockefeller: Founder of Standard Oil
➤ The man who dominated the global economy with oil
➤ Transformed oil into a "national strategic resource"

Episode 33 Nikola Tesla: Father of the modern electric society
➤ The man who saw the future of electric civilization first
➤ Designed the power infrastructure of modern civilization

Episode 34 Colonel Sanders: Founder of KFC
➤ The man who built a global company starting at age 65
➤ Turned a "personal taste" into a global chain

Episode 35 Walt Disney: Founder of Disney
➤ The man who turned dreams into a "giant industry"
➤ Transformed fantasy into a massive business

Episode 36 Gamo Ujisato: Sengoku warlord and founder of the Aizu Domain
➤ The man who moved people with his "heart" rather than money
➤ The "strongest management-style warlord" recognized by Nobunaga and Hideyoshi

Episode 37 Tachibana Muneshige: Sengoku warlord and first lord of the Yanagawa Domain
➤ The man who built public trust through "unwavering strength"
➤ A famous general who lived through the turbulent times by upholding "justice"

Episode 38 Sanada Masayuki: Sengoku warlord and head of the Sanada clan
➤ The man who survived the Sengoku period solely through strategy
➤ Fought not by breaking through the front, but through a "survival structure"

Episode 39 Jiro Shirasu: Private diplomat and businessman
➤ The man who would not bend his principles and beliefs
➤ The Japanese man who said "NO" to the GHQ

Episode 40 Kakuei Tanaka: 64th and 65th Prime Minister of Japan
➤ The man who reshaped post-war Japan through the Remodeling of the Japanese Archipelago
➤ Transformed the Japanese archipelago into a "connected nation"

The "Great Figures of the World Series" concludes with Episode 40.
Starting June 23rd, we will launch the "Roman Empire Series" (8 episodes in total).
Please look forward to it.

Please use this index to search for other series.

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