As host of the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo and with a booming economy shaping the nation, the mood of Japan at that time was very exciting. It was to be short–lived, however, as the following year saw a decline in personal consumption and capital investment in equipment. This set off a wave of bankruptcies in not only small– and medium–sized businesses but also major companies. While escaping bankruptcy, SANYO saw a substantial decline in profits for the first time. In response, Toshio directed all departments to: 1) use funds more efficiently; 2) promote innovative thinking to develop new products; 3) offer high–quality, reasonably–priced products by streamlining production; 4) enhance and expand sales networks and services; and 5) restructure corporate management and streamline administrative procedures. At the same time, Toshio sent a SANYO sales representative to the U.S. in an effort to increase the sale of TVs. Unlike Japan, the U.S. was enjoying prosperous economic times and Toshio the export of more than 100,000 black–and–white TVs and 6,000 color TVs. As we see the world in color, it seemed obvious to Toshio that color TVs would soon be the preferred choice among people throughout the world. In preparation, SANYO established a mass production system for color TVs and released Japan's first truly affordable model in 1967. As SANYO was one of the first companies to popularize color TVs, the company's initiative was featured in a national news program. Japan soon recovered economically and business picked up substantially for SANYO with the launch of color TVs. Domestic color TV production soared from 520,000 units in 1966 to 1,280,000 in 1967.