Meisei Electric Co., Ltd. (明星電気株式会社) is a Japanese manufacturer of meteorological observation, environmental measurement, and space-related equipment, founded in 1938 and headquartered in Isesaki, Gunma Prefecture.[1] The company’s visual identity centers on a wordmark and a separate “M” device mark, both registered as trademarks with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
Design and History
Meisei Electric holds two active WIPO trademark registrations filed on March 16, 2020: a wordmark registered as “MEiSEI” and a standalone “M” device mark.[2] The “M” mark is registered as a figurative trademark in International Class 09, covering scientific and electric apparatus and instruments.[2]
Earlier trademark filings show the company’s identity evolving over time. A 2003 WIPO registration covers a “Miscellaneous Design” mark filed on October 28, 2003, alongside a separate “MEISEI” wordmark filed the same day.[2] A Taiwanese trademark record for “MEiSEI (logo)” was filed on August 6, 2008, and registered on December 16, 2009, described as a color (彩色) planar mark.[3] A companion Taiwanese record for an “M mark (device)” was filed the same day, also registered in color.[4]
Earlier still, the company registered wordmark-only marks in Taiwan: “Ｍｅｉｓｅｉ” filed March 4, 1987, and “Meisei” filed September 22, 1998, both in monochrome (墨色).[5][6] These records indicate that the “M” device mark and the stylized “MEiSEI” wordmark were introduced as a combined identity by at least 2008, with the current WIPO registrations renewed in 2020.
Meaning and Symbolism
Meisei Electric’s corporate communications emphasize two core technologies: “Sensing” (測る技術) and “Communication” (伝える技術).[7] The company describes itself as the world’s only comprehensive environmental measurement system manufacturer, with products spanning from underwater to outer space.[8]
Typography and Design
The registered “MEiSEI” wordmark uses a distinctive letterform treatment in which the “i” is lowercase and the surrounding letters are uppercase, a stylistic choice that differentiates the mark from a standard all-caps wordmark.[2] The 2008 Taiwanese registration describes the mark as color (彩色).[3]
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