Short answers, pulled from the story.
Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe authorized the creation of the East Asia Development Board on the 18th of November 1938. This cabinet-level agency emerged during the Second Sino-Japanese War when military leaders failed to deliver a quick victory.
The Imperial Japanese Army quickly seized operational control from civilian administrators within the new agency. General Yanagawa Heisuke received appointment to oversee all operations following this power shift.
Chinese historian Zhifen Ju documented that at least five million Chinese civilians became enslaved workers between 1938 and 1942. These individuals originated from northern China and Manchukuo regions under Japanese occupation.
The East Asia Development Board directly funded opium dealers operating within China to support collaborationist governments established in Nanjing, Manchukuo, and Mengjiang. International observers noted that 90% of all illicit white drugs circulating globally in 1937 traced back to Japanese sources.
The East Asia Development Board ceased operations when it merged into the Ministry of Greater East Asia in November 1942. This absorption marked the end of four years of activity since its founding date.