Ohto
 | |
| Formerly | Nakata-Ohka-do (1919–49) Auto (1949–74) Ohto (1974–present) |
|---|---|
| Company type | Limited |
| Industry | Writing instruments |
| Founded | 1919 |
| Founder | Nakata Touzaburo [1] |
| Headquarters | |
| Products | Fountain, rollerball, and gel pens, refills, and mechanical pencils |
| Website | ohto.jp |
Ohto Co., Ltd. (オート株式会社, Ōto Kabushiki Gaisha) is a Japanese manufacturing company of writing implements. The company was established in 1919 as a manufacturer of dyes and ink. In 1949, the company became a pen manufacturer after they manufactured the world's first ball point pen with a chrome ball. This was also Japan's first ballpoint pen.[1]
Current products manufactured by Ohto are fountain, rollerball, and gel pens, their refills, and mechanical pencils.
History
[edit]The story of Ohto started when Nakata Touzaburo, an employee of the Ministry of Finance, invented a special ink, which he thought would be perfect for use in banknotes. After his idea was rejected by the Ministry, Touzaburo decide to establish a company by himself, establishing "Nakata-Ohka-do" in 1919 as a manufacturer of ink, setting up in Tokyo.[1]
When the United States Army (that had occupied Japan after the World War II) brought ballpoint pens with them, Japanese people were amazed by them and their long-lasting ink system, since ballpoints did not need to be refilled as often as fountain pens. Nakata took note of this, and in 1949 Nakata-Ohka-do released the first ballpoint pen made in Japan, named "Auto pencil". It also became the world's first pencil-shaped ballpoint pen with chrome ball.[2] To match its own invention, the company also renamed to "Auto".[1]
In the 1960s, Ohto also released the first water-based ballpoint pen, thus establishing a new category of pens: rollerball pens.[2] In 1974, the company realised that the word "Auto" was too closely associated with cars, and changed its name again to "Ohto".[1]
References
[edit]External links
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