Is Mitsubishi Pencil Owned by Mitsubishi? Its History
No. Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd. is an independent Tokyo company with its own origin: Niroku Masaki founded it as a pencil factory in 1887 and registered the three-diamond Mitsubishi mark, drawn from his family crest, in 1903. The Mitsubishi group says Mitsubishi Pencil is not one of its companies.
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Key takeaways
- Niroku Masaki saw pencils at the 1878 Paris Exposition and opened Masaki Pencil Manufacturing, a water-wheel-powered factory in Naito-Shinjuku, Tokyo, in 1887.
- Masaki registered the 三菱 (Mitsubishi) name and three-diamond mark in 1903 as trademark no. 18865, to mark the three grades of pencil he supplied to Japan's Ministry of Communications from 1901.
- The company took the name Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd. in 1952, launched the uni pencil on October 1, 1958 at 50 yen, when ordinary pencils cost 5 to 20 yen, and the Hi-uni in 1966.
- The uni-ball pen arrived in 1979, the POSCA marker in 1983, the Signo gel pen in 1994 and the low-friction Jetstream ballpoint in July 2006.
- Mitsubishi Pencil reported 2025 consolidated sales of 89,814 million yen (about US$568 million) with 2,871 group staff, and has owned LAMY since March 15, 2024.
Is Mitsubishi Pencil owned by Mitsubishi? No. It shares a name and a three-diamond mark with Japan’s best-known business group, but not a history, an owner or a parent: both Mitsubishi Pencil and the Mitsubishi group say so. Every date below comes from Mitsubishi Pencil’s own Japanese pages, its company history, its uni history and its press releases, translated by us, with the Mitsubishi group’s own Q&A for the other side.
Is Mitsubishi Pencil owned by Mitsubishi?
No. Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd. is a separate company that began as Niroku Masaki’s pencil factory in 1887, and its three-diamond mark comes from Masaki’s family crest. Mitsubishi Pencil’s FAQ says it is not a company of the Mitsubishi group, and the group’s Q&A says the same: Mitsubishi Pencil “is not one of the Mitsubishi group companies” and has “a completely different origin”.
The two marks look alike for different reasons. The Mitsubishi group says Yataro Iwasaki chose its three diamonds, suggestive of the Tosa clan’s three-leaf crest and the Iwasaki family’s three stacked rhombuses. Mitsubishi Pencil’s three diamonds come from Masaki’s family crest, the three scales.
| Mitsubishi Pencil | Mitsubishi group | |
|---|---|---|
| Mark drawn from | Masaki family crest, three scales (三鱗) | Tosa clan crest and Iwasaki family crest |
| Mark registered | 1903, as trademark no. 18865 | Later than 1903, per Mitsubishi Pencil |
| Starting point | Masaki Pencil Manufacturing, 1887 | Yataro Iwasaki’s company |
| Relationship | Says it is not a group company | Says Mitsubishi Pencil is not a group company |
Mitsubishi Pencil’s company outline gives a head office in Shinagawa ward, Tokyo, and no parent company, and our ownership overview counts it among the makers not owned by a larger group. The only ownership change runs the other way: it bought LAMY in 2024, and our LAMY and Mitsubishi Pencil story explains that takeover, which had nothing to do with the Mitsubishi conglomerate.
Mitsubishi Pencil timeline: 1887 to 2025
The company’s story runs from a water-wheel pencil mill in 1887 to LAMY and the uniball ZENTO in the 2020s. Dates are from Mitsubishi Pencil’s Japanese history page unless noted.
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1887 | Niroku Masaki founds Masaki Pencil Manufacturing in Naito-Shinjuku, Tokyo | Mitsubishi Pencil history |
| 1901 | Supplies the Ministry of Communications with domestic pencils No. 1, 2 and 3 | Mitsubishi Pencil history |
| 1903 | Mitsubishi (三菱) name and mark registered, no. 18865 | Mitsubishi Pencil history |
| April 17, 1925 | Merges with Yamato Pencil as Masaki Yamato Pencil Co. | Mitsubishi Pencil history |
| 1927 | Direct exports begin | Mitsubishi Pencil history |
| 1952 | Renamed Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd. | Mitsubishi Pencil history |
| October 1, 1958 | uni pencil launched, 4H to 4B | uni history |
| 1959 | Ballpoint production starts | Mitsubishi Pencil history |
| 1966 | Hi-uni pencil | Mitsubishi Pencil history |
| 1977 | US company set up | Mitsubishi Pencil history |
| 1979 | uni-ball water-based rollerball | Mitsubishi Pencil history |
| 1983 | POSCA paint marker | Mitsubishi Pencil history |
| 1994 | uni-ball Signo gel pen | Mitsubishi Pencil history |
| July 2006 | Jetstream ballpoint | Press release, February 2011 |
| 2008 | Kuru Toga mechanical pencil | Mitsubishi Pencil history |
| 2020 | uni-ball One | Mitsubishi Pencil history |
| 2024 | C. Josef Lamy GmbH becomes a consolidated subsidiary | Mitsubishi Pencil history |
| 2025 | uniball ZENTO; LAMY safari JETSTREAM inside | Mitsubishi Pencil history |
Who was Niroku Masaki?
Niroku Masaki was the founder who brought industrial pencil making to Japan after seeing pencils at the 1878 Paris Exposition. Mitsubishi Pencil says he kept that first impression with him through years of research and failed attempts.
In 1887 he built a pencil factory driven by a water wheel in Naito-Shinjuku, now Naito-machi in Shinjuku ward. The company marked its 120th year in October 2006 by placing a “pencil monument” on the site and giving it to Shinjuku ward.
His breakthrough customer was the government. In 1901 the Ministry of Communications, which ran Japan’s post and telegraphs, adopted his office pencils in three grades, No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3.
Where does the three-diamond mark come from?
Masaki designed it to commemorate the ministry contract: three diamonds for the three grades, drawn from his family crest of three scales (三鱗). The 三菱 (Mitsubishi, “three diamonds”) name and mark were registered as a trademark in 1903, registration number 18865.
Mitsubishi Pencil says its registration came before the Mitsubishi group’s. Its history page says by 15 years and its FAQ says by 10; both are the company’s own figures, and we give both.
The company kept its mark through a 1925 merger with Yokohama’s Yamato Pencil, and in 1952 it renamed itself Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd. so the company and the products would share one name. Today it uses uni as its corporate brand.
How did the uni pencil change the company?
The uni, launched on October 1, 1958, was a premium pencil at 50 yen when ordinary pencils cost 5 to 20 yen, and it sold far better than expected. Mitsubishi Pencil’s uni history puts that price beside a graduate’s starting pay of about 13,500 yen at the time.
The name comes from unique. The Hi-uni followed in 1966 and grew to 22 grades in 2008. In 2018 the uni’s maroon and black, and the Hi-uni’s maroon, black and gold, were registered in Japan as color-only trademarks.
uni then spread from one pencil to the company’s whole range. Our Hi-uni guide covers the pencil today, and our story on how a pencil is made explains the graphite-and-clay core.
How did Mitsubishi Pencil move into pens?
Mitsubishi Pencil began making ballpoints in 1959 and built a pen business on the uni-ball (1979), the POSCA (1983), the Signo (1994) and the Jetstream (2006). It set up its US company in 1977 and its UK company in 1984.
The Signo range includes the uni-ball Signo 207, and the paint marker is covered in our POSCA PC-5M guide. The Kuru Toga, which turns its lead as you write, followed in 2008; its top model, the capped KURU TOGA DIVE, also feeds its own lead. Both appear in our best mechanical pencil guide.
The Jetstream Standard went on sale in Japan in July 2006, according to a 2011 press release, with an ink Mitsubishi Pencil calls new to the world. It writes with much lower friction than older oil-based ballpoints; our Jetstream RT guide covers the US version.
How big is Mitsubishi Pencil today?
Mitsubishi Pencil reported 2025 consolidated sales of 89,814 million yen (about US$568 million) and 2,871 group employees, with Shigehiko Suhara as president. Its outline dates the founding to 1887 and the incorporation to 1925.
Since 2024 it has also owned LAMY of Heidelberg. Mitsubishi Pencil’s 2024 half-year report records the business combination, and the two companies have since put a Jetstream refill inside the LAMY safari. Our ownership overview lists it among the independent Japanese makers.
What couldn’t we confirm?
We couldn’t settle how much earlier Mitsubishi Pencil’s 1903 trademark was than the Mitsubishi group’s. Mitsubishi Pencil’s history page says 15 years and its FAQ says 10, and we didn’t find the group’s own registration date on mitsubishi.com.
Mitsubishi Pencil’s pages give only the year for the founding in 1887, not a day. We also found no Mitsubishi Pencil page giving a worldwide Jetstream sales total.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mitsubishi Pencil part of the Mitsubishi group?
No. Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd. says it is not a Mitsubishi group company, and the Mitsubishi group's own Q&A says it is not one of its companies and has a completely different origin. Niroku Masaki founded it in 1887.
Why do Mitsubishi Pencil and Mitsubishi both use three diamonds?
The name means three diamonds in Japanese, and the shapes were chosen separately. Mitsubishi Pencil's mark comes from Masaki's family crest of three scales (1903); the group says its mark recalls the Tosa clan's three-leaf crest and the Iwasaki family crest.
Who founded Mitsubishi Pencil?
Niroku Masaki (眞崎仁六). Mitsubishi Pencil says he first saw pencils at the 1878 Paris Exposition and, after years of trials, founded Masaki Pencil Manufacturing in Naito-Shinjuku, Tokyo, in 1887, the start of industrial pencil making in Japan.
What does the Mitsubishi Pencil logo mean?
Its three diamonds stand for the three grades of the pencils Masaki supplied to Japan's Ministry of Communications from 1901: No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3. He drew them from his family crest, the three scales (三鱗), and registered the mark in 1903.
Why is the pencil called uni?
Mitsubishi Pencil says the name comes from unique. The uni went on sale on October 1, 1958 as a top-quality Japanese pencil, first in grades 4H to 4B, and uni later became the brand for the whole company.
When did the Jetstream pen come out?
The Jetstream Standard went on sale in Japan in July 2006, according to Mitsubishi Pencil's February 17, 2011 press release. Its newly developed oil-based ink writes with much less friction than older ballpoint inks, and the 4&1 multi-pen followed in November 2008.
Is uni-ball a separate company?
No. uni-ball is a Mitsubishi Pencil brand, first used for the water-based uni-ball pen of 1979. Mitsubishi Pencil sells it abroad through its own companies, starting with its US company in 1977 and its UK company in 1984.
Does Mitsubishi Pencil own LAMY?
Yes. Mitsubishi Pencil made C. Josef Lamy GmbH of Heidelberg a consolidated subsidiary in 2024; our ownership stories date the takeover to March 15, 2024. LAMY's pens are still made in Germany.
Sources
- Mitsubishi Pencil (Japanese): 三菱鉛筆のあゆみ (company history, 1887–2025, and the trademark story)
- Mitsubishi Pencil (Japanese): 三菱マークのルーツを知りたい (FAQ: 1903 trademark; not a Mitsubishi group company)
- Mitsubishi Pencil (Japanese): uniの歴史 (uni launched October 1, 1958 at 50 yen)
- Mitsubishi Pencil (Japanese): 会社概要 (company outline: founded 1887, incorporated 1925, 2025 sales and staff)
- Mitsubishi Pencil (Japanese): 『ジェットストリーム 4＆1』ブライトシリーズ, press release, February 17, 2011 (Jetstream Standard launched July 2006)
- Mitsubishi Pencil (Japanese): 半期報告書, January–June 2024 (LAMY business combination)
- Mitsubishi group (mitsubishi.com): The Mitsubishi mark (three diamonds; Tosa clan and Iwasaki family crests)
- Mitsubishi group (mitsubishi.com): Q&A, Q10 on Mitsubishi Pencil