> The Mitsubishi Group traces its origins to the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a unified company that existed from 1870 to 1946. The company, along with other major zaibatsu, was disbanded during the occupation of Japan following World War II by the order of the Allies. Despite the dissolution, the former constituent companies continue to share the Mitsubishi brand and trademark.
Mitsubishi also makes the world's most expensive toaster: https://youtu.be/Lq3iwWaoU7w
First, as some of you have noted, the 三 kanji means 'three' [0] and Mitsubishi means 'three diamonds' [1]. Hence, the traditional family crest from the Mitsubishi family. The concrete origin can be found around here [2]
Mitsubishi Pencil is the first one registering the three diamond logo, in 1903 [3]. Mitsubishi zaibatsu logo was thinner and a bit different then [4]. During the occupation of Japan after WWII, the Allied Powers (GHQ) ordered dismantling the zaibatsu and stopping using the Mitsui and Mitsubishi brands (among others) [5]. Mitsubishi Pencil was not part of the zaibatsu, but using the same name, it was in risk of disappearing. After negotiations by their president with the GHQ they were allowed to keep it if they indicated that they're not part of the zaibatsu [6]. Back in the fifties you could see "non-zaibatsu" under their logo in their products. [7]
The 'Mitsubishi Cider' made by Konyusha doesn't exist anymore but its trademark was registered by Mazda Kogyo (now Mazda Total Solutions) in 1919. No, not THAT Mazda, a different Mazda (Matsuda/Mazda is a Japanese surname, so, more confusion :D) Mazda Kogyo would have contracted Konyusha to manufacture and sell the product in 1919 [8]. In 2014 Mazda Kogyo transfered the brand to Mitsubishi Corporation while Konyusha was still manufacturing it, and in 2015 they changed their name to Mazda Total Solutions [9]. Haven't totally understood their message, but I think Mazda Total Solutions has ceased operations as of today [10]. Konyusha stopped manufacturing and selling the cider in 2017 [11]. I've seen somewhere that could be related to the Kumamoto earthquake of 2016, as that Konyusha's location.
Fun fact, there's is a cider named "Mitsuya Cider" [12] that has a similar logo, but with "arrows" instead of diamonds. When it started, as a carbonated water brand in the 1880s, it was part of the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, but it was split from the company a couple years later [13].
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0: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E4%B8%89#Japanese
1: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E4%B8%89%E8%8F%B1#Etymology_2
2: https://www.mitsubishielectric.co.jp/corporate/gaiyo/history/logo/
3: https://mpuni.net/en/company/history.html
4: https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/Mitsubishi
5: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%B2%A1%E9%96%A5%E8%A7%A3%E4%BD%93
6: https://www.buzzfeed.com/jp/kenjiando/mitsubishi-pencil
7: https://jaa2100.org/entry/detail/035688.html
8: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%BC%98%E4%B9%B3%E8%88%8E#%E4%B8%89%E8%8F%B1%E3%82%B5%E3%82%A4%E3%83%80%E3%83%BC%E3%81%AB%E3%81%A4%E3%81%84%E3%81%A6
9: https://matsudats.com/#history
10: https://matsudats.com/#message
11: https://web.archive.org/web/20171031110949/http://konyusha.co.jp/%e4%b8%89%e8%8f%b1%e3%82%b5%e3%82%a4%e3%83%80%e3%83%bc%e8%b2%a9%e5%a3%b2%e7%b5%82%e4%ba%86%e3%81%ae%e3%81%8a%e7%9f%a5%e3%82%89%e3%81%9b/
12: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsuya_Cider
13: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%89%E3%83%84%E7%9F%A2%E3%82%B5%E3%82%A4%E3%83%80%E3%83%BCAs for the cider company, sounds like they've been selling it like it since 1913[2], but registered it in 1919? My guess is that since it was a regional product with the product type in the name that's already established (like [3]), they allowed it.
[0] https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B9%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3... (translated: https://ja-m-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/%E3%82%B9%E3%...) [1] https://www.buzzfeed.com/jp/kenjiando/mitsubishi-pencil [2] https://www.mitsubishi.com/ja/series/yataro/11/ [3] https://ja.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%9C%B0%E5%9F%9F%E5%9B%A3%...
The shape is somehow associated with the name mitsubishi, possibly through visual or phonetic punning that is common in pictogram-based writing systems and tonal languages. Mitsubishi the name is more widespread than this one family or this group of companies, and the symbol appears to have long associated with the name per se rather than this specific mitsubishi. Mitsu sounds like three, I don't know what the rhombus connection is.
That shade of red has a specific proper name in japanese (think like alice blue in english) and has long been associated with japan by the japanese.
I don't think any of this is a coincidence there's a connection between all this stuff. But I don't know what it is and I don't think the article author does either.
I hadn't heard of that one [0], the example that comes to mind is "Canary Yellow", but I suppose that's not so bound up to a specific cultural history.
> pictogram-based writing
Incidentally, this Chinese brand:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuling_Motors
...has a logo that's rather reminiscent of Mitsubishi's, and literally means "five rhombus".
It's not clear why the 3 companies got the right to use the same logo. Perhaps they could each demonstrate that they used that logo before Japanese law required for it to be formally submitted for trademark?