At 94 years young, Han Chang-woo remains a dominant force in Japan’s pachinko industry. The company he took over in 1957, Maruhan Group, is widely considered to be the country’s largest pachinko hall operator as well as one of its great innovators. Maruhan’s parlors – the first to bring pachinko into the modern age by offering cleaner and more light-filled venues – are considered to be larger and more inviting than those offered by smaller rivals, giving it an edge over those who can’t afford to offer the same ancillary facilities.
Han’s story is intriguing. After secretly entering Japan in 1945, he obtained Special Permanent Resident status and graduated from Hosei University in 1952. In 1958 he took over a pachinko operation in Kyoto and officially founded Maruhan in 1972. Aside from pachinko, Maruhan has expanded into various entertainment sectors, including bowling alleys, golf driving ranges and movie theaters.
Han, who became a Japanese national in 2002, has more recently announced his intention to donate his entire fortune before his death to fostering Korean and Japanese relations. Forbes earlier this year estimated that fortune to be in the realm of US$1.3 billion.
