Kinsho Co. (金商株式会社, Kinsho Corporation) was a Japanese trading company specializing in non-ferrous and ferrous metals, established in January 1947 as Kinzoku Shoji K.K. before adopting the Kinsho name in August 1948.[1] The company operated under this identity for decades until it was absorbed into Mitsubishi Corporation RtM Japan Ltd. in April 2013.[1]
Design and History
Kinsho Corporation’s corporate identity history is closely tied to its series of name changes. The company was founded as Kinzoku Shoji K.K. in January 1947, then renamed Kinsho Trading Co., Ltd. in August 1948.[1] In November 1960, the firm merged with Osaka-based textile trader Mataichi Co., becoming Kinsho-Mataichi Corporation.[1] The name reverted to Kinsho Corporation in April 1999.[1]
In 2006, Mitsubishi Corporation subscribed to a private placement of new shares, making Kinsho Corporation a subsidiary.[2] Following a corporate split in April 2013 that transferred Mitsubishi Corporation’s metals resources trading business to the firm, the company was renamed Mitsubishi Corporation RtM Japan Ltd.[1]
Despite claims that a 1971 logo was designed by graphic designer Tomoichi Nishiwaki, no verifiable primary source documenting this attribution, the logo’s design, or its symbolism has been located. Nishiwaki is confirmed to have worked as a graphic designer in Japan in the 1950s, with work illustrated in the November 1958 issue of Art and Industry magazine, but no connection to Kinsho Corporation has been established in available records.[3]
One documented visual asset from the Kinsho era is the “Unimetals” trademark, registered in Taiwan by Kinsho Corporation. The trademark registration describes it as a flat, monochrome (ink color) mark featuring the word “UNIMETALS.”[4] This mark appears to have been used in connection with the company’s metals trading operations, though no detailed design description or symbolism is documented in the registration record.
Meaning and Symbolism
No official documentation has been located that explains the meaning or symbolism of any Kinsho Corporation logo or mark. The company’s Japanese name, Kinsho (金商), combines the characters for “metal/gold” (金) and “commerce” (商), reflecting its core business in metals trading, but this linguistic observation is not sourced to any official brand documentation.
Following the 2013 rebranding, Mitsubishi Corporation RtM Japan adopted the corporate philosophy and visual identity framework of its parent, Mitsubishi Corporation, including the “Three Corporate Principles” (Sankōjō) that trace back to 1934.[5] The current entity operates under the Mitsubishi Corporation RtM group identity rather than a distinct Kinsho mark.
Logo Index is an independent educational archive covering logos, visual identities and graphic design history. All trademarks and brand assets remain the property of their respective owners.
