The three-diamond Mitsubishi mark embodies over 130 years of tradition, earning the trust and confidence of people worldwide. Maintaining the value of that mark as a symbol of quality and reliability in products and services is a top priority at every Mitsubishi company.
The name "Mitsubishi" refers to the three-diamond emblem. "Mitsubishi" is a combination of the words mitsu and hishi. Mitsu means three.
Hishi means water chestnut, and Japanese have used the word for a long time to denote a rhombus or diamond shape. Japanese often bend the "h" sound to a "b" sound when it occurs in the middle of a word. So they pronounce the combination of mitsu and hishi as mitsubishi.
Yataro Iwasaki, the founder of the old Mitsubishi organization, chose the three-diamond mark as the emblem for his company. The mark is suggestive of the three-leaf crest of the Tosa Clan, Yataro's first employer, and also of the three stacked rhombuses of the Iwasaki family crest.
All the Mitsubishi companies strengthen the value of the three-diamond mark as a symbol of quality and reliability by providing superior products and services, and by observing rigorous ethical standards. At the same time, they are careful (1) to display the mark in ways that preserve its recognizability and (2) to prevent abuse of the mark by third parties.
(1) Legal registration
The Mitsubishi companies have established the Mitsubishi Corporate Name and Trademark Committee and an affiliated liaison group to establish and enforce guidelines for proper use of the Mitsubishi mark. Mitsubishi companies have secured nearly 5,500 registrations for the three-diamond mark in more than 140 nations.
The Corporate Name and Trademark Committee and the liaison group work to ensure that the mark appears on products and in publications and advertising in a manner that reinforces the Mitsubishi identity.
(2) Preventing abuse by third parties
Illicit use of the Mitsubishi mark by third parties diminishes the mark's value as a symbol of quality and reliability. The Mitsubishi companies monitor abuse of the mark vigilantly through the Corporate Name and Trademark Committee. The Mitsubishi companies issue warnings when they discover abuse and sometimes take legal action to protect the mark.
