[Leica] Nikon and Mitsubishi and ownership

["Kotsinadelis, Peter (Peter)" <peterk@lucent.com>]

Gentlemen,

Nikon and Asahi (Pentax) are both members of the Mitsubishi Int'l (not owned
by it).  This is basically a Japanese association and described as follows:

"Mitsubishi is more than 40 independent companies who share a common
ancestry. The companies conduct business activities separately but cooperate
in areas like philanthropy and public affairs." 

Peter K

- -----Original Message-----
From: Marc James Small [mailto:msmall@roanoke.infi.net]
Sent: Sunday, May 02, 1999 2:13 PM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Leica] On the Profitability of Optical Companies


At 10:39 PM 5/2/99 +0200, Bruce Feldman wrote:
>Marc,
>This has nothing to do with your basic points, but from what I understand
>from six years in Japan, part of which was spent doing contract work for
>Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, there is a widespread misconception about this
>name.

No, there really isn't a misunderstanding.  At the end of the Second World
War, the Japanese were required to split up their corporate conglomerates
- -- is the term Zaibatsu?  They promised they would do so.  They proved to
MacArthur they had done so.

But they didn't.

So, of course, the Nikon guys want to claim, "oh, we haven't a thing to do
with Mitsubishi!".

Save, the Mitsubishi mark is on a number of Nikon products.  And, now that
the Japanese have to reveal some, but not all, of their corporate
ownership, I think the truth is now out in the public purview.

So, yes, your story sounds authentic.  But what they told you isn't true,
to my knowledge.

Marc

msmall@roanoke.infi.net  FAX:  +540/343-7315
Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!