Ryōichi Sasakawa
Ryōichi Sasakawa | |
|---|---|
笹川 良一 | |
Sasakawa in 1990 | |
| Member of the House of Representatives | |
| In office 1 May 1942 – c. December 1945 | |
| Preceded by | Man'itsu Tanaka |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Constituency | Osaka 5th |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 4 May 1899 |
| Died | 18 July 1995 (aged 96) Tokyo, Japan |
| Children | Takashi Sasagawa Yōhei Sasakawa |
| Relatives | Hiroyoshi Sasagawa (grandson) |
| Occupation | Businessman, sports administrator |
Ryōichi Sasakawa (笹川 良一, Sasakawa Ryōichi; May 4, 1899 – July 18, 1995) was a Japanese businessman, far-right politician, class A war criminal, and philanthropist.
In the 1930s and during the Second World War, he was active both in finance and in politics, actively supporting the Japanese war effort including raising his own paramilitary units.
After Japan's defeat he was accused of war crimes and imprisoned for a time. After his release, he found financial success in various business ventures, including motorboat-racing gambling events (Kyōtei) and ship building. He supported anti-communist activities, including the World Anti-Communist League. In 1951 he founded the Nippon Foundation and became its first president. The foundation has done charitable work around the world, for which it and Sasakawa have received many official honors.