Mutoh Celebrates 70 Years

Mutoh, a manufacturer of wide-format printers and cutting plotters, celebrated its 70th anniversary in March 2022. Starting in 1952, Yoshiro Mutoh founded Mutoh Scale Engraving Research Center in Mishuku, Setagaya, a company that manufactured measuring equipment.

Measuring equipment like disk-type slide rules for aerial navigation, calipers, and rotary protractors were produced. Mutoh says these products reflected the technical capabilities required to engrave scales accurately and marked the beginning of the company’s spirit of supporting monozukuri (the act of making things).

In March 1952, MUTOH Memori Chokoku (MUTOH Scale Engraving) LTD was established. With this came new products like the drafter and pen plotter that printed product drawings. Over the years, Mutoh says it has continued to uphold the same spirit by supporting those in various aspects of monozukuri, especially when it comes to large-format printer products.

“Understanding the customer’s needs, providing security and trust, and the excitement of our future to reach new milestones and breakthroughs is our commitment to achieving our target of celebrating our 100th anniversary,” Mutoh’s President Yasuhiko Isobe states. “We are still in a difficult business environment due to the new coronavirus, soaring prices of materials due to the situation in Ukraine, difficulty in procurement, and turmoil in logistics, but all employees will continue to work to overcome these difficulties.”

With the world headquarters in Japan, and its affiliates in the U.S., Europe, and Australia, Mutoh prides itself on being a source for wide- and small–format printers and plotting cutters.

“Seventy years is quite a milestone for Mutoh,” says President of Mutoh America Brian Phipps. “It says a lot when a company can grow and adapt over the many decades and remain a leader in the markets they serve. I’m very proud to be part of this organization and to celebrate this giant achievement with Mutoh. “