“Mitsubishi” is a combination of the words “mitsu” and “hishi.” “Mitsu” means three. “Hishi” means water chestnut, and the word is used to denote a rhombus or diamond shape.

As is customary, “hishi” is pronounced “bishi” when it forms a latter part of a word, hence the combination of “mitsu” and “hishi” reads “mitsubishi.”

Photo by Toto Ong.

Yataro Iwasaki (1835-1885), the founder of the old Mitsubishi organisation, decided on the three-diamond mark as the emblem for his company. The mark is said to be an arrangement of two family crests; the three-oak-leaf crest of the Yamauchi family, Lords of Tosa, where Yataro was born, and the three-tiered water chestnut crest of the Iwasaki family.

Mitsubishi companies have secured nearly 5,500 registrations for the three-diamond mark in more than 140 nations.

Info from Mitsubishi.

Car related: The story of the Michelin Man.