Conglomerates

A conglomerate in Japan is called a "keiretsu". This means a system or series of grouping enterprises with interlocking business relationships and shareholdings according to Wikipedia. There are three different types of keiretsu. The first is kigyo shudan, which means a horizontally intergrated busines. The second, seisan keiretsu, stands for a vertically integrated manufacturing network; the third ryutsu keiretsu stand for a vertically integrated distributing network.

Most conglomerates started out with their central banks that used its money to lend out to is other business enterprises. One of the most important events that has affected keiretsu is the recession in the 1990s. Many companies were hit by the drowning economy and other business picked them up through acquisitions.

Here is a list of some major Japanese keiretsu:

• Fuyo (Canon, Hitachi, Nissan, Yamaha)
• Mitubishi (Mitsubishi Motors, Kirin Brewery, Nippon Oil, Nikon)
• Toyoto (Toyota Motors, Lexus, Toyota Financial, Towa Real Estate)
• Mitsui (Fuji Film, Mitsui Real Estate, Toshiba)
• Dai-Ichi (Isuzu, Tokyo Electric Power, Fujitsu)
• Sumitomo (Kobe Steel, Toho, Konica Minolta, Hankyu Railway)

As with media, Japan is actually more stable compared to the U.S. and Europe when it comes to conglomerates. Japan's media was basically untouched by large corporations until Rupert Murdoch's Star TV came into the picture. Murdoch bought 20% of Asahi which is one of 5 major TV networks.