Shibusawa Eiichi
Asano Sōichirō 浅野総一郎 formed Asano zaibatsu in 1884, purchasing governmental Fukagawa Cement Works with the support from Shibusawa Eiichi 渋沢栄一 of Shibusawa zaibatsu. Because Asano zaibatsu had no bank, it relied upon Shibusawa and Yasuda zaibatsu capital and was only "the 5th-largest" zaibatsu in Japan. But It had 64 companies in 1940, and 94 companies in 1943. It almost monopolized the cement industry in Japan. "Often these companies are controlled through only a minority of shares, domination being accomplished by personal influence, and the manipulation of credit, supplies and outlets." Since 1945 when most zaibatsu were disbanded by Douglas MacArthur in occupied Japan, Asano zaibatsu has spun off many companies.