Mitsubishi

The Mitsubishi Group (三菱グループ, Mitsubishi Gurūpu) (also known as the Mitsubishi Group of Companies or Mitsubishi Companies) is a group of autonomous Japanese multinational companies covering a range of businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark, and legacy.

The Mitsubishi group of companies form a loose entity, the Mitsubishi Keiretsu, which is often referenced in Japanese and US media and official reports; in general these companies all descend from the zaibatsu of the same name. The top 25 companies are also members of the Mitsubishi Kin'yōkai, or "Friday Club", and meet monthly. The Mitsubishi.com Committee facilitate communication and access to the Mitsubishi brand through a portal web site.

History

The Mitsubishi company was established as a shipping firm by Yatarō Iwasaki (1834–1885) in 1870. In 1873, its name was changed to Mitsubishi Shokai. The name Mitsubishi (三菱) consists of two parts: "mitsu" meaning "three" and "hishi" (which becomes "bishi" under rendaku) meaning "water caltrop" (also called "water chestnut"), and hence "rhombus", which is reflected in the company's logo. It is also translated as "three diamonds".

Mitsubishi Motors

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (Japanese: 三菱自動車工業株式会社, Hepburn: Mitsubishi Jidōsha Kōgyō KK, IPA: [mitsu͍ꜜbiɕi̥]) is a multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. In 2011, Mitsubishi Motors was the sixth biggest Japanese automaker and the sixteenth biggest worldwide by production. It is part of Mitsubishi keiretsu, formerly the biggest industrial group in Japan, and was formed in 1970 from the automotive division of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation is in a separate division from Mitsubishi Motors, which builds commercial grade trucks, buses and heavy construction equipment.

History

Mitsubishi's automotive origins date back to 1917, when the Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. introduced the Mitsubishi Model A, Japan's first series-production automobile. An entirely hand-built seven-seater sedan based on the Fiat Tipo 3, it proved expensive compared to its American and European mass-produced rivals, and was discontinued in 1921 after only 22 had been built.

Mitsubishi Electric

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (三菱電機株式会社, Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki-gaisha) is a Japanese multinational electronics and electrical equipment manufacturing company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is one of the core companies of Mitsubishi.

Mitsubishi Electric manufactures electric and architectural equipment, as well as a major worldwide producer of photovoltaic panels. The Corporation was established on 15 January 1921.

In the United States, products are manufactured and sold by Mitsubishi Electric US Holdings, Inc. headquartered in Cypress, California.

Operations

Principal geographic subsidiaries