Honda's Environmentology

Honda's origins date back to September 1946, when Soichiro Honda (Soichiro), a mechanic by profession, started the Honda Technical Research Institute (HTRI) in Hamamatsu, Japan, where he and 12 employees worked on modifying engines developed by the Mikuni Shoko Company, which were then used to power bicycles. He soon launched a two-stroke 50 cc modified engine (called a bicycle auxiliary engine), which went on to become quite popular, with buyers from Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and other major cities. In 1947, the institute started developing Honda engines and introduced its first product, the Honda A-Type - a cycle fitted with a Honda engine.

That year, it began to expand its dealer network. In June 1952, when the Cub F-type was launched, the company decided to exploit the hitherto untapped bicycle dealer network for this model. The Cub F-Type was a huge success. In 1952, Honda imported machine tools from the US, Germany, and Switzerland so as to manufacture all the components that went into its motorcycles. It also bought and renovated an old factory in Saitama Prefecture, to produce components. With this, production capacity increased significantly. In April 1953, the Cub FII-Type was launched, which was followed by the Benly J-Type in August 1953. In 1953, Honda's first power product⁷, the H-Type engine, was launched...