Unlike Mitsui and Mitsubishi which had developed from trading, Sumitomo had developed from industries, mainly Besshi copper mine, and had been biased against trading company.
三井・三菱が商いから身をたてたのに比較して、住友は別子銅山を中心に製造業で伸びてきた違いがあり、商事部門に対する見方が狭かったのである。