The prolonged war resulted in a shortage of raw materials for sheet glass as Japan’s government began to commandeer material and labor from the companies and tried to consolidate them. As part of this move, the government repeatedly told Nippon Sheet Glass to merge with another company but Keijiro Kitazawa, Sumitomo’s managing director, flatly denied such requests, saying “Nippon Sheet Glass will definitely serve the country when the war is over. It should not be allowed to disappear.” His effort was reinforced by president Nakamura and the Company narrowly escaped the fate of consolidation.