completing his graduate studies in 1945, matsumoto joined the firm of skidmore, owings, and merrill in chicago and in 1946, joined the firm of saarinen and swanson. while with saarinen and swanson, he, along with terry waugh and david greer, won the "better chicago contest" with a cash prize of $10,000. their winning entry was a comprehensive regional plan for the chicago metropolitan area.