Role+of+the+Zaibatsu

__** ·   __Zaibatsu:__ large, family-controlled businesses like Mitsubishi, Nissan, Mitsui and Mutsuhito who had interests right across Japanese finance, industry and commerce. // UPON THE JAPANESE SURRENDER AND SUBSEQUENT US OCCUPATION... //  ·     The Zaibatsu were considered to support militaristic sentiments, due to their providing the Japanese war machine with necessary tools throughout the Pacific War. The Americans, headed by General (Emperor) Douglas MacArthur were determined to ‘dismantle’ these businesses in an attempt to stifle the growth of Militarism in Japan.  ·   Many reforms were passed by the SCAP and his advisors, which banned Zaibatsu family members from continuing to work for family companies and measures were taken to limit the size of any one company.  ·     Leading Zaibatsu members were forced by MacArthur and his advisors to resign from the management of their companies, with their assets being sold to Japanese workers, trade unions and private individuals.  ·    1946: Businesses such as Asano, Furukawa, Nakajima, Nissan, Nomura, and Okura were targeted for dissolution. //“Their assets were seized, holding companies eliminated, and interlocking directorships, essential to the old system of inter-company coordination, were outlawed”.// <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US"> <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive"> // <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">THEN CAME THE ‘COLD WAR’…   // <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US"> ·  <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">The status of the Zaibatsu was reaffirmed in circa 1947 when MacArthur’s focus was made to change by the commencement of what is now known as the ‘Cold War’ (see <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_War <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive"> for further information). <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US"> ·   <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">Initially, the Americans aimed to reform and change the mindset of the Japanese through the implementation of MacArthur’s ‘Seven Point Plan’ and a policy of demilitarisation. However, this aim became “secondary” to creating an industrially strong Japan, who was to act as a “bulwark to Communist Expansion in Asia”. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US"> ·   <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">A desperate MacArthur quietly allowed members from the old Zaibatsu to return to their family companies and the Zaibatsu were able to “grow” once more. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US"> ·   <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">The Zaibatsu were now considered to be of benefit to the Japanese economy and government, which remained “in terrible shape” since their surrender. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">
 * __  The Role of Zaibatsu: