The name “Mitsubishi” refers to the familiar symbol of the “Three Diamonds”. Mitsubishi is a combination of the words “mitsu” (= three) and “hishi” (= water chestnut). This word was used in Japanese for a long time to describe the shape of a diamond. The Japanese often convert the “h” into a “b” when it appears in the middle of a word. Yataro Iwasaki, founder of the old Mitsubishi Corporation, chose the Three Diamonds as his company’s coat of arms. The symbol combines the three-leaved coat of arms of the Tosa clan, to which Yataro’s first employee belonged, with the three layered diamonds, the coat of arms of the Iwasaki family.
Yataro Iwasaki (1835-1885)
In 1870, Yataro Iwasaki founded a transport company with three hired steamships. In the years thereafter, the company steadily expanded into a fleet of over 30 vessels. Mitsubishi was thus able to build up a strong base in the modern shipping industry. Mitsubishi also expanded his business into various other branches of industry. The first of these new ventures was coal mining, which was founded in 1881 through the purchase of the Takashima Mine. The second was shipbuilding, initiated in 1884 with the rental of the Nagasaki Docks from the government. These two lines of business became the central pillars of the new Mitsubishi … more >>
Milestones down through the decades
Twenties to Sixties
1921
Production of 10,000 fans
1953
Launch of the first Mitsubishi television set
1967
Kirigamine air conditioner
Seventies to Nineties
1975
Introduction of inverter-controlled air conditioners
1980
The first huge Diamond Vision outdoor colour video display system
1993
The world's fastest passenger lift
1999
Equipping of the Subaru telescope with Mitsubishi gear technology
Since 2000
2000
Launch of the first i feel function
2003
The world's widest Diamond Vision display
2004
Hygiene certification for all M-Series air conditioners
2006
Quietest air conditioner on the market
2008
Introduction of the Zubadan heat pump and VRF water modules
Twenties to Sixties
