Asano zaibatsu was one of the major second tier zaibatsu

Zaibatsu

is a Japanese term referring to industrial and financial business conglomerates in the Empire of Japan, whose influence and size allowed for control over significant parts of the Japanese economy from the Meiji period until the end of World War II.-Terminology:...

 in Japan, formed in 1887 with the support from Shibusawa Eiichi, the founder of the Shibusawa zaibatsu and "Father of Japanese capitalism". Since 1945 when all zaibatsu were disbanded, Asano zaibatsu has spun off many companies.

Well known companies include TOA Construction Corporation

TOA Construction Corporation

Not to be confused with another Japanese company with the same English name, TOA Corporation, engaged in electronics industry. The two companies are not affiliated to each other. , or TOA Corporation is a Japanese general contractor construction firm....

 (東亜建設工業), which has become the main company within the former zaibatsu now acting more like a keiretsu

Keiretsu

A is a set of companies with interlocking business relationships and shareholdings. It is a type of business group. The keiretsu has maintained dominance over the Japanese economy for the greater half of the twentieth century....

, as well as Taiheiyo Cement

Taiheiyo Cement

is a Japanese cement company, and is the biggest of its kind in Japan. It was formed in 1998 with the merger of Chichibu Onoda and Nihon Cement ....

, one of the largest cement companies in Japan, former by a merger of Chichibu Onoda (itself a merger of Chichibu Cement and Onoda Cement) and Nippon Cement (formerly Asano Cement).