This tendency has in fact existed since the Edo period (there were many cases where family heads were not engaged in management because they were in infancy or in poor health, or for other reasons, and consequently the so-called "ohbanto" would control the business).
この傾向は実は江戸時代から存在していたが（当主が幼少、病弱その他の理由などで、経営に関わらなかったケースが多く、実権はいわゆる「大番頭」が握っていた）。