the largest "zaibatsu" trading companies were dismantled after the war, giving nichimen an early lead among the "sogo shosha" in the 1950s and a six percent share of japanese foreign trade by 1958. nichimen became closely affiliated with osaka-based sanwa bank in 1955, which financed all of nichimen's domestic business. nichimen was not the main trading company for the sanwa "keiretsu" as that position was already held by iwai & co. nichimen jitsugyo.