Graduating from the Kyushu Institute of Technology in 1960 with a degree in mining engineering, he discovered there was no work underground, so he joined what is now known as Taiheiyo Cement .
They also enjoy a continuing monopoly over construction and civil engineering projects, from dams to bridges, and highways to metropolitan underground light railways.
An example is engineering and construction group Balfour Beatty, one of the preferred bidders for London Underground PPP, which reported in August that PFIs underpinned its 17% rise in underlying profit growth.