Kanto Auto Works Kanto Auto Works In April 1946, Kanto Auto Works was established in Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan, as an independent company called "Kanto Electric Motor Works" which focused on repairing cars, assembling electric vehicles and producing bus bodies. In early 1948, it became a Toyota contractor, producing auto bodies. During its early years, the company also assembled some cars for Toyota (Toyota SB, Toyota Master, Toyota Crown). The company also diversified into other products such as yachts and prefabricated homes. In 1950, it adopted the "Kanto Auto Works" name. In 1960, the company became a permanent car assembler through a new Yokosuka
1923 Great Kantō earthquake Tokyo as refuge spots, and public buildings were constructed with stricter standards than private buildings to accommodate refugees. The outbreak of World War II and subsequent destruction severely limited resources. Frank Lloyd Wright received credit for designing the Imperial Hotel, Tokyo, to withstand the quake, although in fact the building was damaged by the shock. The destruction of the US embassy caused Ambassador Cyrus Woods to relocate the embassy to the hotel. Wright's structure withstood the anticipated earthquake stresses, and the hotel remained in use until 1968. The unfinished battlecruiser "Amagi" was in drydock being converted into an aircraft carrier