Differences in capabilities between Japan and the world seemed huge at that time. Catching up would take much more than a few years of study. For Kawasaki Dockyard's level of technology to be recognized as first rate, the company had to thoroughly study Western technology and implement it at home. Kojiro did everything he could to make that happen and catch up with the world.

Kojiro Matsukata was born on December 1, 1865, in Satsuma (present-day Kagoshima Prefecture). His father, Masayoshi Matsukata was a politician who served as prime minister twice during the Meiji era. Born to a high-profile family, Kojiro was viewed as a child prodigy by the people around him. However, as a small boy, he was quite mischievous. One anecdote that shows how bold he was happened when he fearlessly jumped from a very high place and cut his Achilles tendon. But he had another side, and was a very diligent man who never failed to train himself, academically and physically. Growing up in Satsuma where men were measured by their bravery, Kojiro became a man of fortitude. He never lost his bold and daring personality. In another anecdote (known as the "stone-filling incident" which happened when he was staying at an inn on his way to Tokyo), Kojiro, unable to sleep because of the snoring of another lodger, filled the lodger's mouth with stones from the garden.

Kojiro enrolled in the Preparatory School of the University of Tokyo that he had long hoped for, but the school failed to fully satisfy him. Through letters from two brothers who lived outside Japan, he learned of the sophisticated level of education in Europe. Kojiro began thinking, "If I stay in Japan, I will never be competitive in business." Determined to see the world, Kojiro told his father of his desire to study in the United States. He then successfully got into Rutgers College. In the second year, however, he felt that studying at Rutgers was not enough.

A year after winning the Russo-Japanese War, the Japanese government promulgated the Railway Nationalization Act and purchased 17 private railway companies. The government's justification for this was to strengthen transport capacity under a policy of increasing national prosperity and military power. However, another motive was also at play: to use it as collateral for foreign-currency war bonds and remedy financial difficulties. Kojiro was not going to overlook such an opportunity offered by the state. A short two months after the promulgation of the Railway Nationalization Act, Kojiro decided to expand into rolling stock and constructed a production plant near a canal in Kobe. Four years later, the company successfully produced Japan’s first domestically manufactured steam locomotive, which performed so well that the Rail Bureau wrote to the company saying, "Its outstanding performance is on par with foreign-made locomotives."By 1971, a total of more than 3,000 locomotives were produced at Kawasaki's rolling stock works, which contributed greatly to the popularization of railway transportation in Japan.

In response to the global expansion of armaments, the Japanese Navy signed a contract with Kawasaki Dockyard to build the super-dreadnought battle cruiser Haruna. However, because the Navy requested delivery in extremely short time, the company underwent a worrisome period, not knowing whether they could meet the deadline, even with an added workforce.While striving to complete the ship, Kojiro noticed that workers at the top of a crane were running the risk of falling. Convinced there could be casualties if they continued working at such a fast pace in a dangerous environment, Kojiro decided to slow the work down and make safety a priority.

Differences in capabilities between Japan and the West were obvious to Kojiro. He had a strong desire to make the Kawasaki Dockyard a world-class company, but he knew well that the employee's capabilities were much lower than those of their Western counterparts. Kojiro told management that unless they fully mastered the technology of the West, a breakthrough could not be achieved. He then sent his engineers overseas. Inspired by Western technology, the engineers returned home and became passionate advocates of their newfound knowledge to their peers. Such changes were a testament to Kojiro's belief that, when introduced to something great, the workers would gain a new passion.Through these experiences, Kojiro's framework for human resource development was formed. The sending of employees overseas was followed by a scholarship program, so that the engineers could improve their skills. Kojiro devised a system to allow employees to study at outside institutions after-hours to gain technical expertise, and to receive scholarships if they performed well. The program proved very popular and the quality of work improved. Employees made fewer careless mistakes and worked more efficiently without depending too much on their intuition. Nurtured by Kojiro's creative measures, the employees gradually became world-class engineers.

While the world was wondering about the course of WWI, Kojiro was spending time in the United Kingdom. As he was preparing to return to Japan, German long-range bombers raided London. Instead of feeling scared, the first thought that crossed Kojiro's mind was that the "sky" should be the focus of the company's next business. He sent a telegram, ordering his staff to start planning a production site for aviation products. Around the same time, Kojiro established an automobile section in the Machinery Department, after observing the rapid increase of automobile use in the U.S. and Europe. These business diversification strategies were based on his forecast of a post-war recession.

Price escalation followed the end of WWI, but wages remained unchanged and many people suffered from poverty. Engineers at Kawasaki Dockyard were also affected and they submitted their demands for wage increases many times. Finally, in desperation, they gave the company an ultimatum: they would go on strike unless they got a pay rise. Kojiro remained calm, expressed his appreciation for their work, and announced that the company would pay 10 hours’ worth of daily wages, as usual, but for only eight hours of work. The engineers were at first puzzled, but soon realized that this was an offer of higher wages, and so dropped their demands and threats of a strike.

In 1941 Kojiro criticized the attack on Pearl Harbor, saying that it was a reckless act. His remarks showed that he was fully aware of the far-reaching production and technological capabilities of the United States and Europe. This, however, became his last outspoken criticism of Japan, which had been his signature style.In 1949, Kojiro fell ill and began to lose strength. On June 24, 1950, he passed away at 84 years and seven-months of age. Many friends and acquaintances crowded his funeral, and, mirroring Kojiro's sanguine disposition, the venue was filled with a hopeful atmosphere throughout the ceremony.