Marin had several problems, but Saburo did not give up his strong attitude. Advertising continued at the same levels, and he would not allow production levels to drop. However, the front-line salesmen were well aware that Marin was not selling. The expressions on the faces of the store owners grew more severe with each passing day; they avoided Kobayashi employees, and quite a few even distressed them. Returned product increased, and with no place to store them at the factory, even the employee cafeteria filled with Marin.

Still, without sales, the president continued daily to encourage his employees. Among the employees, no one would report frankly, "No sales today againc", and before long this attitude spread like a disease through the company. So, at Saburo's instructions, they loaded up their bicycles with Marin in the morning and went out to work, but the Marin stayed on the bicycles all day long.

With no accurate reports coming to Saburo, he continued on, not aware of the sales figures. This was not the work of one or two employees. Processing the paperwork required for product returns without awareness at the top required the cooperation of many employees.

However, Saburo was not unable to sense these conditions. There was less and less to say about Marin, and the enthusiasm was leaving the company like a receding tide. In 1957 the Tokyo branch, influenced by some extremist ideas, formed a labor union and forced the president to immerse himself in dealing with that. This only accelerated the decline in energy. To add to this was something that came to light only later: As all this was happening an incurable disease was taking hold in Saburo's body.