Not long after Toshio's return to Matsushita, the Great Kanto Earthquake struck Tokyo and nearby areas on September 1,1923.In its wake it left over 99,300 dead, close to 45,000 missing and untold structural damage. Businesses struggle to rebuild as commodity prices soared and the cost of electrical appliance increased by as much as 30 to 40%. This left retailers and wholesalers in serious financial trouble. Not wanting to add to their troubles, Toshio supplied products at the same cost as before and gave all clients a 50% discount on accounts receivable for past transactions. In his autobiography Toshio Iue remarked, "I could not in good conscience take advantage of those people in their time of need. Many of those merchants took a chance on me by buying goods Osaka and I have always followed the philosophy that one good turn deserves another. When business in conducted in good faith, everyone benefits. In many ways, I believe that my sales approach at that time contributed significantly to improving the situation for Kansai merchants operating in Tokyo."