Platinum Pen History: Nakata, #3776 and Preppy
Platinum Pen was started in February 1919 by Shunichi Nakata as a fountain-pen maker, traded as Nakaya Seisakusho from 1924 and became Platinum Pen Co., Ltd. in 1942. Its best-known pens are the #3776 of 1978, named for Mount Fuji, and the Preppy of 2007; its Slip & Seal cap followed in 2010.
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Key takeaways
- Shunichi Nakata started his fountain-pen business in February 1919; Platinum celebrated its 100th year on February 1, 2019.
- Nakata founded Nakaya Seisakusho in Ueno in 1924, registered the Platinum trademark in 1925 and incorporated Platinum Pen Co., Ltd. on November 9, 1942.
- The #3776 came out in 1978 at 10,000 yen; 3,776 m is the height of Mount Fuji, and the redesigned #3776 Century followed in 2011.
- Platinum says its Slip & Seal cap, first used on the Plaisir in 2010, solves fountain pens drying out after 3 to 6 months unused.
- The Preppy fountain pen of 2007 passed 10 million pens shipped in 2017 and 15 million sold in April 2024, according to Platinum.
Platinum Pen has been run by the Nakata family for more than a century. Its story runs from a small Tokyo workshop through a wartime aircraft plant to a pen named after Mount Fuji and a cheap clear pen sold by the million. All dates below come from Platinum’s Japanese centenary history and company pages, translated by us.
What is the history of Platinum pens?
Platinum pens began in February 1919, when Shunichi Nakata started making fountain pens in Tokyo; the business became Nakaya Seisakusho in 1924 and Platinum Pen Co., Ltd. in 1942, and is best known for the #3776 (1978), the Preppy (2007) and its Slip & Seal cap (2010). Platinum’s centenary page says Nakata founded it “as a fountain-pen manufacturer” in 1919, and the company marked its 100th anniversary on February 1, 2019.
The company is still Platinum Pen Co., Ltd. (プラチナ万年筆株式会社), based in Higashi-Ueno in Tokyo’s Taito ward, with capital of 100 million yen. Its president is Toshiya Nakata, the third Nakata to run it.
Platinum timeline: 1919 to 2024
These dates trace Platinum from workshop to the Preppy. All come from Platinum’s Japanese history and product pages.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| February 1919 | Shunichi Nakata starts his fountain-pen business |
| 1924 | Nakaya Seisakusho founded in Ueno, Tokyo |
| 1925 | Platinum trademark registered (No. 85809) |
| 1928 | “Platinum Mannenhitsu” mark and globe logo |
| November 9, 1942 | Incorporated as Platinum Pen Co., Ltd. |
| 1947 | Renamed Platinum Sangyo for exports; back to Platinum Mannenhitsu in 1962 |
| 1956 | Cartridge fountain pen, which Platinum calls the world’s first practical one |
| October 7, 1968 | Shunichi Nakata passes away at 66; Toshihiro Nakata becomes president |
| 1978 | #3776 launched at 10,000 yen |
| 1979 | First product called Preppy |
| 2007 | Preppy fountain pen launched |
| 2009 | Toshihiro Nakata passes away at 73; Toshiya Nakata becomes president |
| 2010 | Slip & Seal mechanism on the Plaisir fountain pen |
| 2011 | #3776 Century, the first full redesign in 33 years |
| April 2024 | Preppy passes 15 million sold |
Who was Shunichi Nakata?
The founder, who started the business in 1919 and ran it for nearly 50 years. Platinum’s history says the first workshop had 60 workers and 20 staff and exported under the brands Champion, Piiton and 555, and that early pens took the English Onoto and Waterman as models.
In 1924 he founded Nakaya Seisakusho in Ueno to make and sell fountain pens, and in 1925 he registered the Platinum trademark. Platinum’s history also records that in 1942 he became president of Tokyo Heiki, which assembled some 400 Zero fighter aircraft, and that the metal skills from that work went into the metal caps of the postwar “A-type” pens.
The company took its present form on November 9, 1942, with 50 employees. Nakata also served on the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, and in 1966 published a memoir; he passed away on October 7, 1968.
Why is it called the #3776?
Because 3,776 m is the height of Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest mountain. Platinum’s history lists the #3776, billed as “the ideal fountain pen”, as a new product of 1978 at 10,000 yen, and the company still numbers its Fuji-themed limited editions after the mountain, such as one limited to 3,776 pens “after the height of Mount Fuji”.
The pen stayed in the range for decades with only variations. In 2011 Platinum launched the #3776 Century, which its history calls the first full model change in 33 years; our Platinum #3776 Century guide covers today’s pen. A January 2026 Platinum release marked 48 years of the #3776 name with a “Ver. 2.0”.
What problem does Slip & Seal solve?
Ink drying in the nib: Platinum says an ordinary fountain pen can dry out and stop writing if left unused for 3 to 6 months. Its Slip & Seal page explains that a fully airtight cap normally pumps ink out of the nib when you open and close it, so most makers leave a vent.
Platinum’s answer is a cap mechanism that seals completely without that pumping. The company says it first managed full airtightness in snap caps, on the Preppy and the Plaisir, and the centenary history dates “Slip & Seal” on the Plaisir to 2010. The #3776 Century of 2011 was the first screw-cap pen to get it, and Platinum lists Japanese patent 5637515 for the design.
Platinum’s January 2026 release calls the Century, 15 years after launch, “the fountain pen that doesn’t dry out” and says the Ver. 2.0 improves that performance by more than 50%.
How did the Preppy start?
As a cheap fountain pen in 2007, which Platinum calls “the pioneer of low-priced fountain pens”. Platinum’s Preppy page says it passed 15 million sold in April 2024, and the centenary history records 10 million shipped and a redesign in 2017.
The name is older than the pen. The same history lists a “first Preppy” among 1979 launches without saying what it was, so the 2007 date applies to the clear fountain pen sold today. Our Platinum Preppy guide covers its nibs and cartridges, our Platinum Carbon Black guide covers the company’s pigment ink, and it is one of the picks in our best fountain pens for beginners roundup.
Is Platinum still a family company?
Platinum doesn’t publish its shareholders, but the Nakata family has led it for all three of its presidents. Its history says Toshihiro Nakata took over on the founder’s passing in 1968, and after he passed away in 2009 at 73, Toshiya Nakata became representative director.
Nakaya, the hand-made pen brand, shares its name with the 1924 company; our brand data lists it as founded by Platinum’s Toshiya Nakata. Platinum isn’t part of any group in our who owns which stationery brands story, unlike Sailor, now controlled by PLUS. For how Japanese nib sizes differ from Western ones, see Japanese vs Western nib sizes, and for its larger rival, our Pilot history story.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Platinum Pen?
Shunichi Nakata (中田俊一). Platinum's centenary history says he started a fountain-pen business in February 1919; he ran the company until he passed away on October 7, 1968, aged 66, when Toshihiro Nakata became president.
How old is the Platinum fountain pen company?
Platinum counts from February 1919 and marked its 100th anniversary on February 1, 2019. The present company, Platinum Pen Co., Ltd., was incorporated on November 9, 1942.
When did the Platinum #3776 Century come out?
In 2011. Platinum's history calls it the first full redesign of the #3776 in 33 years, and it was the first screw-cap pen to get the Slip & Seal cap.
What is Platinum's Slip & Seal?
Platinum's airtight cap design, meant to keep ink from drying in the nib. Platinum says ordinary fountain pens dry out after 3 to 6 months unused; Slip & Seal came on the Plaisir in 2010 and the #3776 Century in 2011, and Platinum holds Japanese patent 5637515 for it.
When did the Platinum Preppy come out?
Platinum dates the Preppy fountain pen to 2007 and says it passed 15 million sold in April 2024. Its history also lists an earlier product called the first Preppy in 1979, so the name is older than the cheap clear fountain pen.
Is Platinum related to Nakaya pens?
Yes, by family and name. Platinum's history says Shunichi Nakata founded Nakaya Seisakusho in Ueno in 1924, the company that became Platinum Pen. Today's Nakaya Fountain Pen brand was set up by Toshiya Nakata of Platinum.
Who runs Platinum Pen today?
Toshiya Nakata (中田俊也), the third president, who took over in 2009 after Toshihiro Nakata passed away at 73. Platinum's company profile lists him as representative director, with head office in Higashi-Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo.
Who owns Platinum pens?
Platinum Pen Co., Ltd. of Tokyo is independent: it isn't part of any larger group and doesn't publish its shareholders, but the founding Nakata family has led it through all three of its presidents, with Toshiya Nakata as representative director since 2009.
Sources
- Platinum Pen (Japanese): プラチナ万年筆 100年の歩み (centenary history, 1919 to 2019)
- Platinum Pen (Japanese): 100周年記念サイト (100th anniversary on February 1, 2019)
- Platinum Pen (Japanese): 会社概要 (company profile: founded February 1919, incorporated November 9, 1942, president Toshiya Nakata)
- Platinum Pen (Japanese): スリップシール (Slip & Seal mechanism, patent 5637515)
- Platinum Pen: Slip & Seal Mechanism (English)
- Platinum Pen (Japanese): プレピー万年筆 (launched 2007; 15 million sold in April 2024)
- Platinum Pen (Japanese): #3776 センチュリー (product page, Slip & Seal)
- Platinum Pen (Japanese): 富士旬景シリーズ第四作目 (limited to 3,776 pens after the height of Mount Fuji)
- Platinum Pen press release via Kyodo News PR Wire, January 2026: ＃3776 センチュリーVer. 2.0 (48 years of the #3776 brand; 15 years as the pen that doesn't dry out)