From Pig Farms to Pachinko Fortunes — The Origin Story of Masa Son’s Family Empire

How a risk-taking father, gray-market gambling, and family resilience laid the foundations for one of Japan’s most iconic tech dynasties

Following their pig farming venture which significantly improved the family's finances, Masa's father, Mitsunori, moved the family in April 1964 to Kitakyushu. Mitsunori's next business venture was into loan-sharking, targeting salarymen at the nearby Yahata steel plant. This was a high-risk activity, requiring him to carry a knife for self-protection, …