Arasaka

The Arasaka Corporation (Japanese: アラサカ社 or 荒坂社), is a world-wide megacorporation dealing in corporate security, banking, and manufacturing. It is one of the most influential megacorporations in the world. The company is also the largest distributor of Japanese-made merchandise throughout the American, European, and Asian markets. Arasaka-branded weapons and military vehicles are among the most sought after by police and security firms. Over the years, it has developed a dark reputation as a corporation that is to be feared and one which covers its tracks using assassins, an army of lawyers, as well as an alleged connection to the Yakuza. The Arasaka Corporation maintains the largest and most powerful armed forces of any corporation in the world, with their guards renowned worldwide and feared by many. Most firms will look to licensing from Arasaka corporate security guards, couriers, or mercenaries to protect their assets. However, Arasaka assets take priority if they are at risk and the troops themselves are loyal to death to the Japanese conglomerate. Arasaka has made a habit of buying up other companies worldwide, and bleeding out the competition of other Japanese corporations. They also give a heavy amount of support to Japanese communities all over the globe, despite their business practices and overall history being considered unethical.

History

History 1910s - 1950s The Arasaka Corporation was founded in 1915, by Sasai Arasaka in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan. The company originally was focused on manufacturing and took full advantage of World War II to forward their wealth and power by supplying the Imperial Army. However Sasai foresaw the defeat of Japan and worked to ensure his company and fortune would survive the war by spreading his wealth across the globe, out of the reach of the post-war leadership. Soon enough the Japanese surrendered and the country was in ruin, with most cities destroyed by the constant bombings (with the exception of Kyoto). On August 15th, 1945, the Emperor broadcast the edict of surrender and renounced his divinity. Saburo Arasaka, a former lieutenant in the Imperial Japanese Navy and son of Sasai, was thunderstruck. He was on the verge of seppuku in the compound's cherry tree grove of the hospital when he had a moment of epiphany and a vision. Right at that moment, Saburo saw the wisdom of his father's actions. As family scion, that fortune would soon be his to control, a fortune that, if wielded correctly, would permit a clever man to push Japan back towards a position of power from which it could dominate the world politically and economically. The children of Amaterasu would prevail, if not under the Emperor, then under another deity: commerce. Saburo drew the half inch of dagger that had penetrated his abdominal muscles before the vision had stayed his hand and returned to the household. That same night, he began to study politics, economics, and history, which continued until his father's death. Although Japan's economy and industry were in ruins, Saburo studied all matters of business, economics, and politics while attending Todai. This was to ensure he had the skills necessary to accomplish his goals. Sasai had capitalized on wartime industry, but against Saburo's impassioned urging, he had made sure that the bulk of the Arasaka fortune was covertly protected in concealed overseas assets and accounts. 1960 - 1997 In 1960 Sasai Arasaka died and the 41 year old Saburo stepped into his late father's shoes as the head of the Arasaka Corporation. At the time Arasaka was still a relatively small company, having just reestablished itself in international commerce. Before his death, Saburo's father had been slowly retrieving the capital and resources kept secret during the war and after he died, Saburo himself continued the task. In 1970 Saburo created the Arasaka Security division of the Arasaka Corporation. The new division specialized in high quality personal and corporate manpower, electronic, and computer security and protection.[6] Slowly, over 25 years, Arasaka Security developed a sterling reputation as the most potent company of its type in the world. In 1990, Arasaka emerged on the global 500 list and by the mid 1990s, Arasaka guards were employed by thousands of powerful individuals and corporations around the world and Arasaka intrusion countermeasures and computer security experts were retained by many others. It wasn't long thereafter that the Security division was one of Arasaka's three most powerful holdings, equaled only by the Arasaka Bank and Arasaka Manufacturing. Saburo's dedication to his study enabled him to foresee the world market collapse of 1994 and the US collapse of 1996. Saburo was able to take the appropriate steps, and through his shrewd manipulation and investments, make the Arasaka Corporation one of the few commercial institutions to profit from the crash. Arasaka was big before the crash, but in the period afterwards it assumed gigantic stature, becoming one of the largest Megacorporations in the world, now ranking at number two on the global 500 list. At some point in the 1990s, the Arasaka European Group constructed their European headquarters in Paris, France. In 1997 Arasaka Security moved into paramilitary contracting and began training one of the world's first corporate armies at the corporation's guard and agent schooling facility in the forbidden northern wastes of Hokkaido. An age of ruthlessness followed, with Arasaka destroying or absorbing as much of its competition as it could and buying out any non-competitive companies that Saburo thought would make a good asset. Arasaka's control over the government of Japan was becoming problematic in the late 1990s. Saburo was close to having complete control with 60% of Japan's National Diet being Arasaka-bought politicians. However, due to growing fear amongst other Japanese corporations about Arasaka's government takeover attempt, a group was formed by large and small Japanese corporations that united under FACS (Far Asian Co-prosperity Sphere) banner. This countered Saburo's control of the government and many politicians were arrested. FACS would continue to undermine Arasaka's plans in the coming decades. 1997 - 2020 The years from 1997 to 2020, however, had seen the Arasaka Corporation continue to diversify and strengthen. Its major functional arms were still the Arasaka Bank, Manufacturing, and Security groups. Although the corporation was astoundingly wealthy and powerful, and Saburo one of the wealthiest men in the world, he had not forgotten his original goal. During this time Saburo stepped down as CEO and, in his place, his son Kei Arasaka became the nominal head of the Arasaka Corporation. However all major decisions and policies were still subject to Saburo's discretion. Saburo had groomed his son for eventual complete control, and the realization of his personal goals. During the early 2000s, Arasaka contracted major bodyguard services to Slovakia. Though while not having much political power as other Japanese or Korean corporations within the nation, Arasaka still maintained subsidiaries producing articles for the European market. In 2008, the Taiwanese Government hired Arasaka to plan out their defense force in fear of a Chinese invasion. Taiwan managed anti-ship, plane, and missile defenses on the Kinmen and Matsu islands, and Hsinchu, Chanhua, as well as Anping. These islands all contained contracted Arasaka troops for constant hourly monitoring of the Communist and Chinese sponsored Militech. In 2010, Arasaka alongside WNS, EBM, and WorldSat, as well as Triad forces, repelled the invasion of the MLC on Hong Kong. After three years, they were successful in repelling the invasion of Hong Kong, and all four corporations took control of sections of the city. Arasaka secured Chai Wan and Shau Kei Wan, with corporate housing on the mid-levels of the peak and offices on the Bay. They also had their new regional office constructed on the new set of land.[9] In 2013, Arasaka America faced major terrorist attacks on its headquarters in Night City. A rockerboy named Johnny Silverhand led a riot at the base of the Tower and managed to murder multiple Arasaka employees as well as the CEO of the American branch, Toshiro. During this time, Arasaka partnered with Sony Corporation in co-producing the Medusa 2000. The weapon gave the user direct interface to a powerful multi-medium zoom lens with image enhancers, telescopic, macro-zoom abilities, anti-dazzle, UV, and thermograph sensors. Any data filmed was stored into data chips or directly into a neural processor storage bank. In 2020, Arasaka secured a political seat in the government of Portugal. The controlling cooperative alliance had broken in two factions. The cooperative party (The Consensual Progress Party) had two candidates to the presidency, each of them supported by three of the controlling corps (Iberian Agrolndustrial, Amazonian Security, and WNS against Merchant, Arasaka, and Oliveira-Leisure). Tensions between Amazonian Security and Arasaka had risen in attempts to restore harmony and a stable economic growth to the country. Sometime during 2020, an Arasaka Cargo Submarine and its crew including Captain Hyung Mitsumoto sunk in the North Pacific. This led to the acquisition of IDA (International Defense Alliance), an independent organization that was then put under the Arasaka subsidiary, Sato Commercial Shipping. A covert IDA team was dispatched to the Bonin trench to bring the sub to the surface. Fourth Corporate War (2022-2025) In 2021 an oceanic corporation known as Internationale Handelsmarine Aktiengesellschaft, IHAG, announced bankruptcy. Both CINO and OTEC were looking to acquire the stock in the corporation, but each company was too closely matched in buying power for either to get an edge. So they decided to whittle down their opponent's resources and sabotage their attempts at stock acquisition.[5] However, this proved ineffective by itself so the Aquacorp of CINO hired on Arasaka, while OTEC hired Militech. Being the two largest paramilitary corporations in the world, both Arasaka and Militech had been rivaling for many years on different contractors. Arasaka saw this as an opportunity to then whittle Militech's resources. During this time Saburo Arasaka soon came to consider Donald Lundee a real threat, someone who threatened his goal for the Arasaka Corporation. In 2022, Kei Arasaka was responsible for a great deal of the daily operations and important decisions during the IHAG mess. While he viewed the fight like any other business operation, and would never take it personally, in aligntment with Arasaka tradition he intended to stop at nothing to make sure his side was victorious and would never step down from a direct offense to Arasaka. Kei also had full control over his father's corporation as, during this time, Saburo was in seclusion for security reasons for the duration of the conflict. However, he knew the war wasn't going to end well and began to work directly with General Ubo Tanaka, readying himself to sacrifice major assets in order to win. The only thing left was his contingency plans that he hoped would save the zaibatsu if the worst occurred and Arasaka lost. The end of the war for the company saw the death of Kei Arasaka and the destruction of the Arasaka tower in Night City in 2023, as it was destroyed with a mini Nuke by a Militech operative team. President Kress blamed the Night City bombing on Arasaka, despite the fault lying with Militech, and further demonized Arasaka for her own interests. Arasaka's charters to operate in the United States were immediately revoked, its members and board declared terrorists, and its assets either seized or driven off-shore. Arasaka's participation in the Fourth Corporate War almost led to Japanese government breakdown. By repudiating Arasaka after the official end of the war in 2025, Japan's national face was saved and Arasaka was reduced to a Japan-only corporation for the next decade.