biggest business in pre-war Japan. The diversification was mainly into related fields to take advantage of accumulated capabilities; for instance, the trading company entered into chemicals to attain forward integration.

On July 1, 1876, Mitsui Bank, Japan's first private bank, was founded with Masuda Takashi (1848-1938) as its president. Mitsui Bank, which following a merger with Taiyo-Kobe Bank in the mid-1980s became part of Sakura Bank, survives as part of