Nissan originated before World War II. It produced its first vehicles in the Japanese puppet state of Manchuquo, set up in Manchuria in 1933.

Nissan is a large company by any standard, but in comparison to the number one auto maker of Japan, Toyota, Nissan seems small. In the past Nissan developed relationships with independent companies which supplied its parts. Often these parts suppliers joined the Nissan organization contributing to the structure of Nissan's vertical keiretsu. Altogether there about 191 companies forming the Nissan organization, the Nichiyo-kai. Not all the past suppliers of Nissan became parat of the Nichiyo-kai. Nissan lost out to Toyota on some of these suppliers such as JECO, a supplier of car clocks.

The Nissan pyramid consists of three groupings: 1. the assembly operations companies 2. the parts manufacturers 3. the distribution service companies. The composition of the Nissan group is as shown below:

(To be continued.)