Ryoichi Sasakawa

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笹川良一

Ryōichi Sasakawa (笹川良一 Sasakawa Ryōichi) (May 18, 1899 – July 14, 1995) was a Japanese businessman, fascist, organized crime figure, renowned shipbuilder, philanthropist and goodwill ambassador. He is most famous for his ties to the Unification Movement and his boast of being "the world's richest fascist".

During the Sino-Japanese War, Sasakawa rose to prominence by using his wealth to fund paramilitary forces in China, which he used not only to support the Japanese armies, but also for plunder. Using his personal forces and his wealth, he established a large smuggling operation for drugs and other goods. These operations would lead to his arrest at the end of World War II as a class A war criminal.

While being held in Sugamo Prison he met Yoshio Kodama, where the two established a long-term friendship. The US intelligence community secured their release in 1948, in exchange for their aid in fighting Communism and promoting stability in the post-war climate. The two became deeply involved in the post-war reconstruction, using their considerable wealth and influence to bolster business and political parties. Aside from legitimate investments, Sasakawa also used his wealth to bribe officials, used his paramilitary forces to break up strikes and other meetings, and built ties to Kodama's Kanto-kai and the nascent modern yakuza.

In the 1950s, he received a monopoly on motor boat competitions in Japan. Since it is one of the few sports for which gambling is allowed, it became a very lucrative business. This was regulated by the department of transport, and it can be noted that many of the foundations he later created were led by previous employees of the department of transport.

Sasakawa later made extensive contributions to world peace, especially in the area of disaster relief. As the founder of the United States-Japan Foundation, Sasakawa was instrumental in many global efforts to promote the betterment of all the world's people. The Nippon Foundation, established by Sasakawa in August 1959 as the Japan Shipbuilding Industry Foundation, expanded its mission to include service, including physical and cultural education and social welfare.

Specifically, the support of the Nippon Foundation has been directed toward solving the world's medical and environmental problems. By cooperating on an ongoing basis with agencies of the United Nations, including the World Health Organization and UNICEF, this foundation has helped to make substantial progress on many worldwide fronts, including famine relief, aid for refugees, support for various educational programs, allocations for pharmaceutical and medical equipment, and international campaigns to eradicate smallpox, leprosy, drug addiction and AIDS.

He also funded the expansion of Norman Borlaug's Green Revolution to Africa, creating the Sasakawa Africa Association to help stop rising famine in the continent.