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Hiroyuki Hatakeyama was assigned to the E300's design in the spring of 1964, moving over from his position in charge of tiller development. He quickly began working on a concept, completing the drawing in a very short time. "I think it took me about three months to finish the layout," Hatakeyama recalled. Considering the essence of "portability," the first image that came to Hatakeyama's mind was that of a briefcase. However, this concept was found to be impractical, since the carrying position and operating position are completely reversed, which would cause problems in the fuel-supply system and other functions. Soon, he began working with Masahiro Sato of the Design Studio, and gradually set his mind on a shape. The new, cube-like configuration of the E300 generator was a radical departure from product designs of the period.
"We conducted some market studies, but we found virtually no products of that type," recalled Hatakeyama. "So, there was no competition, nor were there any particular guidelines we could follow. For these reasons, we could work on our design based on free, unrestricted thinking. At that time, we didn't have the current S?E?D system or the means to conduct accurate market analysis as we do today. Nevertheless, we were convinced that it was the right shape, believing that a good product would always sell.
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