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Houseflags of Japanese shipping companies

Last modified: 2006-09-23 by phil nelson
Keywords: maritime shipping | diamond: red (3) | mon | kyowa kisen | meimon car ferry | mitsubishi kaiun |
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Kyowa Kisen K.K.

[Kyowa] image by Jarig Bakker, 8 September 2005
Source: Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World [lgr95]

Tokyo - triband blue-white-blue; on white "KYOWA" in red.
Jarig Bakker, 8 September 2005

Meimon Car Ferry K.K.

[Meimon Car Ferry]
image by Jarig Bakker, 1 November 2005
Source: Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World [lgr95]

Kyoto - red flag, white disk, jolly wavy stripe.
Jarig Bakker, 1 November 2005

Mitsubishi Kaiun K.K.

[Mitsubishi Kaiun K.K. ] image by Phil Nelson
Source: Flags, Funnels and Hull Colours, 1963 [ste63]

The logo of Mitsubishi is nowadays probably most often seen on cars. If I remember correctly my ancient and unfruitful attempts to learn Japanese, Mitsubishi means "three diamonds", so we have a kind of canting flag.
Ivan Sache, 06 May 2000

You are right. Mitsubishi means three diamonds and the logo derives from three leaves Mon of the Iwasaki family ,founder of Mitsubishi.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 7 May 2000

Yes, it is canting, and, yes, it is more or less "three diamonds". Read more about it in the FAQ at: www.mitsubishi.or.jp/e/faq.html#q8

The same site also holds some information about the history of Mitsubishi, and since they started as a shipping line, also about the history of the shipping line.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 08 May 2000

The red three diamonds on white background flags are used by all companies having name of "Mitsubishi" such as Mitsubishi Chemical, Mitsubishi Heavy Industry, Mitsubishi Motors, Mitsubishi Electrics etc but the companies not having name of "Mitsubishi" working in Mitsubishi business group such as Tokio Marine insurance, Kirin Brewery, NYK (Nippon Yusen Kaisha) use flag without three diamonds.
Nozomi Kariyasu