Large construction projects in Japan can be undertaken by a kyōdō kigyōtai, a joint venture of several builders. A document prepared for a working group of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism names risuku bunsan, spreading risk, as a purpose of joint ventures for large projects.
The same document traces the history of the system. In an entry for 1951, it lists the merits of a joint venture: greater lending power, kiken bunsan, the spreading of danger, stronger technical capacity and more experience.