zaibatsus
Zaibatsu were large family-controlled industrial and financial conglomerates that dominated the Japanese economy from the late 19th century until the end of World War II. The term, meaning wealth cliques, referred to groups built around holding companies that controlled banks, trading houses, and major industrial firms, with the same families maintaining influence across several companies. The four most prominent zaibatsu were Mitsui, Mitsubishi, Sumitomo, and Yasuda, though others existed.
Structure and operations: Zaibatsu used holding companies, cross-shareholding, and affiliated banks to channel capital into strategic
Role and influence: The zaibatsu collaborated closely with the state during industrialization and later wartime expansion,
Dissolution and legacy: After Japan's defeat in 1945, the Allied occupation authorities dissolved the zaibatsu to