Nissan Heritage: 1910 - 1919

1910 - 1919
Only foreign cars from Ford and GM (General Motors) were seen on Japan's roads in the Meiji and Taisho eras. At that time, men like Yoshisuke Aikawa had zealously begun manufacturing vehicles. They are the ones who built the foundation of Japan's automobile industry of today.

1910
Yoshisuke Aikawa establishes Tobata Casting Co., Ltd.: Yoshisuke Aikawa was born in Yamaguchi prefecture. He graduated from Tokyo Imperial University (present Tokyo University). When he lived in the United States, Yoshisuke concealed his academic accomplishments and worked in a factory, where he developed casting skill. He established Tobata Casting Co., Ltd., after his return to Japan.

1911
Establishment of the Kwaishinsha Motor Car Works: Masujiro Hashimoto led by establishing Kwaishinsha. The factory embarked on domestic automobile production, which became the forerunner of the domestic automobile industry.

1914
Completed manufacturing of the DAT car: The DAT car was named by combining the initials of three men who invested in Kwaishinsha: Den, Aoyama and Takeuchi. The DAT car was entered in the Taisho Exposition held in the same year.

1918
Starts anew under the name Kwaishinsha Motor Car Co., Ltd.: The Kwaishinsha Motor Car Works grew in size to 600 thousand yen in capital, with 60 employees. They completed and released Model 41 DAT in the following year, mounting the first single body casting 4-cylinder engine in Japan.

1919
Establsihment of Jitsuyo Jidosha Seizo Co., Ltd.: William R. Gorham, an American engineer, developed a three-wheeled vehicle in 1919. This drew attention from a businessman in Osaka, who established Jitsuyo Jidosha Co., Ltd.. The mechanical equipment, auto parts, and materials were ordered and imported from the United States. Jitsuyo Jidosha Co. was a modern automobile factory of the time.