The Konoike zaibatsu, as the wealthiest merchant in Japan during the Edo period, did not expand its business from finance to other fields due to the family rule that prohibited the business expansion to other than the family business; however, it can be said that the Konoike zaibatsu had the characteristics of an investment zaibatsu because the Konoike family ultimately founded various enterprises in response to requests from financial communities that had tried to acquire the family reputation after the Meiji period, and consequently the family had the status of a major shareholder.
江戸時代の日本最大の豪商、鴻池財閥は、家業以外への進出を禁じた家憲によって、金融業から他の事業へ営業分野の拡大は図らなかったが、明治期以降は同家の名声を欲する財界の要請で、鴻池家が様々な企業の発起人となり、大株主として君臨したことから、投資財閥の性格をもっていたとも言える。