Japan's defeat in World War II dealt a crushing blow to both the country's economy and the nation's identity. The American atomic bombing seemed to demoralize the Japanese, but in a fantastically short time they were able to not only restore the national economy, but also achieve unprecedented economic growth. Hard work, unity and discipline of citizens allowed Japan to achieve incredible breakthroughs in economics and technology by the early 1960s. The personification of the creative impulse of the Japanese in the era of the “economic miracle” was engineer Soichiro Honda (1906-1991). By creating his models of motorcycles and cars, Honda boldly broke traditional foundations and used unusual technologies. Drive, courage, unique talent, and the ability to quickly make original engineering decisions brought him fame as a trendsetter in the field of automotive engineering. He invariably brought all his new ideas to life, constructing one machine after another. Thus, Honda became one of the leading creators of motorcycles and cars in the world, and the company he created became the personification of the “Japanese economic miracle.” This is confirmed by the high demand for goods supplied by Honda to the world market. The company currently produces about 90 types of cars and motorcycles, various special equipment and engines. Honda has been the world's number one seller of motorcycles for 40 years and is one of the world's ten largest car manufacturers. About 1.8 million cars roll off its assembly lines every year.