A Japanese conglomerate consisting of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy.
The name Mitsubishi consists of two parts: "mitsu" meaning "three" and "hishi" (which becomes "bishi" in the middle of a word) meaning "water caltrop" (also called "water chestnut"), and hence "rhombus", which is reflected in the company's famous logo. It is also translated as "three diamonds".
The Mitsubishi company was first established as a shipping firm by Yataro Iwasaki in 1870.
