Hideo Matsushita passed away of natural causes at the age of 93. In accordance with his family's wishes, a private wake and funeral service were held on 8-9 March.
On the eve of Audio-Technica's 40th anniversary in 2002, Hideo Matsushita reflected on the company's early beginnings: "I came to Tokyo at age 32, and, thanks to an introduction by my uncle, went to work for the Bridgestone Museum of Art. At the urging of the museum's director, I began organizing LP concerts. These were much more successful than anyone imagined. After a decade at the Bridgestone Museum, I struck out on my own and established Audio-Technica in 1962."
He continued, "The company immediately launched its first product, the AT-1 Stereo Cartridge. At that time, we were headquartered in a rented one-storey barracks in Shinjuku. We started out with three employees, but quickly grew to 20. We worked late each night, stopping only for dinner at the ramen shop in front of the premises."
Decades of successful growth followed, and in 1993 Hideo Matsushita took the position of chairman and his son, Kazuo Matsushita, became president of Audio-Technica Corporation. With their combined leadership, Audio-Technica has continued to experience steady growth, carrying on the legacy and vision of Hideo-san into the new millennium.
(Jim Evans)
