Frequently Asked Questions about Mitsubishi

The present Mitsubishi group companies trace their origin to a shipping company started in 1870 by a man named Yataro Iwasaki. Thus you can say the history of Mitsubishi began this year and it celebrated 150th anniversary in 2020.

No. "Mitsubishi" is a community that consists of a multitude of completely independent companies (and their respective group companies) unified by a common heritage and empowered by a common set of values. The names of most–but not all–of those companies contain the word "Mitsubishi." Many of the companies use the three-diamond Mitsubishi mark. But none calls itself simply "Mitsubishi."

Here at mitsubishi.com, we speak of "Mitsubishi" in terms of the group companies subject to the company search on this website, which total approximately 600. But that is not the one and only definition of Mitsubishi. Another definition refers to the members of the Kinyokai, the informal group of core Mitsubishi group companies.
The independence of Mitsubishi group companies makes the entity referred to as "Mitsubishi" all but impossible to define, and thus a specific number of companies the group consists of cannot be stated. If we simply count the number of companies with "Mitsubishi" in their names existing worldwide, that would be more than 600. But there are also hundreds of Mitsubishi group companies that do not have "Mitsubishi" in their names.

No. Each company is independent. But all group companies honor the Three Principles prescribed by Koyata Iwasaki, the Fourth and final president of the former Mitsubishi organization: 1. Corporate Social Responsibility, 2. Integrity and Fairness, and 3. Global Understanding through Business.

The companies conduct their business activities independently and even compete with each other in many fields. But as they share the same founding management philosophy and have related historical roots, they cooperate in areas of common interest, such as sporting and cultural events, and public-interest activities. The group companies established a Mitsubishi portal on the Internet, "mitsubishi.com," to provide a broad perspective on Mitsubishi.

The companies undertake philanthropic activities individually, such as volunteer work and corporate donations. Some group companies also support wide-ranging efforts together, such as establishing joint charitable foundations and research organizations.

The founding family of the former Mitsubishi organization left an impressive legacy of architecture and landscaping. They also gathered and made available for view a vast collection of oriental art. Hisaya Iwasaki, the third president established the Toyo Bunko, Japan's oldest library and research institution devoted exclusively to Asian Studies. And Yanosuke Iwasaki, the second president and his son, Koyata Iwasaki, the fourth president together established the Seikado Bunko Art Museum, a priceless collection of Japanese and Chinese books and scrolls.

Mitsubishi group companies established the Mitsubishi Corporate Name and Trademark Committee and an affiliated liaison group to establish and enforce guidelines for proper use of the brand name "Mitsubishi" and its mark "", and protect them from unauthorized or inappropriate use by third parties.

It often causes a lot of confusion owing to the same "Mitsubishi" name and similar mark, but Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd. is not one of the Mitsubishi group companies. They have a completely different origin. For information on Mitsubishi Pencil, please refer to their company website. (http://www.uni-ball.com)