This is the fourth part of a new series of reports written by industry specialists. The first 12 articles are about Japanese general trading companies, or s身g身 sh身sha.
To understand better the businesses the s身g身 sh身sha are involved in today, a look should be taken at how the s身g身 sh身sha developed over time.
Although I will focus on how the modern s身g身 sh身sha developed after World War II, a brief look at their origins might also be helpful.
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