Knowing that there was no one else for the job, Toshio took charge of the shipbuilding contract. Returning to Awaji Island, his place of birth, Toshio brought together a group of shipbuilders for the project. While observing their work, Toshio noticed that a ship was constructed much like a house, from the ground up, in a fixed position. Thinking that this was not the best production method possible, Toshio suggested the possibility of an assembly line to the master builder. "You should try a different production process. By using a rail that extends to the sea, a ship could be manufactured at several sites along that rail from pre-assembled parts and then launched once completed." Toshio believed that this type of production system would achieve greater efficiency in shipbuilding. The master builder, however, rejected this idea believing that a fixed construction site was the only way to build a ship. Not to be swayed, Toshio initiated plans for a new shipbuilding yard that could accommodate a fully-fledged assembly line using rails. With Toshio as president, a shipbuilding company was established as a subsidiary of Matsushita in April 1943. A dockyard was built on the shore of Sanpohama in Osaka to handle 250- and 350-ton types. Toshio immediately went to work on building the first ship. After consulting with shipbuilders, it was decided that the building process should be divided into eight stages. Toshio immersed himself so completely in this business that he would spend many, long days at the dockyard. On the opposite shore of Sanpohama, Uramura on Awaji Island – Toshio's hometown – could be seen. One day while looking out over the horizon, Toshio was reminded of his father Seitaro, a shipowner who had died when Toshio was a young boy. In memory of his father, Toshio was determined to make the assembly line work.