The establishment of a business goes back in Hino heavy industry Ltd. established on May 1, 1942 in tracing the company background of Hino. In addition, the base of organization becomes Tokyo Gas Electric Industry Co., Ltd. established in 1910. The name of the company at the establishment era was Tokyo Gas Industry Co., Ltd. industry and the company manufactured and sold mantle etc. for the gas energy customer at the gas, electricity, and the energy dawn. Afterwards, as the main force of the energy of the light became electricity, it was changed the title as Tokyo Gas Electric Industry Co., Ltd. It should be done that it transferred it at another chance, and they have been established Automotive Division in 1917 under the name called Tokyo Gas Electric Industry Co., Ltd. (Simply and widely called as "Gas-Den" in Japan). Then, it is needed to introduce and describe Mr. Isamu Hoshiko who has had a significant influence on future generations to the automotive business and manufacturing at Hino.
Mr. Kiyoshi Yamoto who totally managed the development and the production of Renault 4CV and Contessa programs as general manager joined Tokyo Gas Electric IndustryCo., Ltd. in 1932. One day, Yamoto was taken by the superior visited the residence of Komakichi Fukuzawa of famous Fukuzawa's clan. Once Yamato entered into a big residence surrounded by a deep forest, the sound in which "Warne, Warne,..." echoed and engines were racing. It was Duesenberg, a luxury car in those days, when he was approached. Mr. Fukuzawa, the present head of a family, described "Yestartday, we traveled to Nagoya area in order to enjoy cooked a matsutake mushroom with this car", then the conversation grew livelier with automotive related matter.
Mr. Fukuzawa was recommending that it was necessary to manufacture the automotive such as Duesenberg to Yamoto's superiors actively. Gas-Den handled the passenger car for the army even with small number, and they have been intended the development of the passenger car of Japan of the future. However, a man who heard the conversation in a sullen silence was in there.
The man was Isamu Hoshiko who was called a person of genius in the automotive society in Japan. "As for Hoshiko, these kind of things are useless though are set even if it does that manufacture a good car like Duesenberg, then Hoshiko's ideal was to have made the economy car for a people. In order to become Japan a rich country, it is necessary to change the farm population of Japan at that time from 60% into about 15% , and to develop to the person of the industrialized country, and it is needed to make the automobile engineering certain for that by manufacturing the economy car.", Yamoto describes. The dream of Hoshiko only did not manufacture the car and was grand, that is, having aimed the industrialized country.
At that time, a attentive passenger car such as A Ford, Opel and so on was emerging in Europe, and it was in Hoshiko's himself as an economy car is a must if aiming comprehensive automotive manufacturer as a firm idea. After all, it eventually became this idea, that is, "Hoshiko-ism", and it had a big influence on Shoji Ohkubo who had been called key mover in Hino of postwar days in the restoration age.
Here, let touch somewhat about HIshiko. Hishiko served to Nihon Jidosha Goshi Kaisha (Nihon Automobile Company Limited) through Sumitomo Casting & Copper Works and others after he had graduated from the Kumamoto Koto-Kogyo (Currently Kumamoto University) in 1911. Meanwhile, he trained the technology of the automobile and the airplane as a business trainee of the agriculture & Commerce affairs in Britain and the United States, and had mastered the top of the technology about the automobile field thoroughly in Japan at that time, in spite of young age. Masujiro Hashitom (Kaishin-sha, DAT CARS), Tetsuji Makita (Hakuyo-sha, Ohtomo Cars), and other are people who have had his tutelage. They are the leading figures of the automotive world.
As Gas-Den starts manufacturing the car with establishing Automotive Division, they sought for the eligible, then initially expected Torao Yamaha who completed first domestic production steam car for the technical advisor. However, it did not succeed because of the intention that he wanted to focus on a further invention in local region.
Then, Hoshiko of 33 year old in the prime of life was chosen at that time. "", Yamoto continued. Nihon Jidosha Goshi Kaisha was a dealer for an imported car. In that time, Mr. Hoshiko was to fret from forced idleness (Hiniku-no-Tan: It is the metaphor that means that the technology or engineering that have it cannot make the best use and are embarrassed with him). It is a reason why he was able to come to Gas-Den according to president's Matsukata (Goro). Automotive Division of Gas-Den became the real thing with Mr. Hoshiko who decided to join the company.
Afterwards, Gas-Den handled many of development and manufacturing of army vehicles with Matsukata and Hoshiko, then moved to aircraft engines, and extended to medium and small passenger plane. What should make a special mention might be working for designing and manufacturing for Kokenki aircraft that established the world record of the cruising range in May, 1938.
However, Hoshiko of the important position as the executive director of the Hino heavy industry has died suddenly by hard work in January, 1944. It was a death of the pioneer who had challenged a real domestic car and the automobile engineering and industry. Hoshiko can be worshiped and respected in Hino even today as "SEI-SHO-KAI" that means the association (KAI) with two people, namely Hoashiko (SEI) and founder Matsukata (SHO).
This is the starting point - the origin that Hino aimed a long-awaited comprehensive automotive manufacturer with manufacturing both a large size car and a popularly-priced car that is not in the other companies. As shown in the appointment of Hoshiko, in Hino, requesting the technology from the highest person, favored with it, honoring its thought, and achieving the dream is a tradition. Moreover, it can be said that Gas-Den spirit that had to be called it is a pioneer spirit was formed.
