22 Facts About Kokichi Mikimoto

Kokichi Mikimoto was a Japanese entrepreneur who is credited with creating the first cultured pearl and subsequently starting the cultured pearl industry with the establishment of his luxury pearl company Mikimoto.

Kokichi Mikimoto was inducted into the House of Peers by imperial decree and posthumously awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure.

Kokichi Mikimoto was ranked as one of the world's most luxurious brands by Women's Wear Daily Magazine and Mikimoto was considered one of the best Japanese financial leaders of the 20th century by Nihon Keizai Shimbun.

Kokichi Mikimoto is known as the founder of Mikimoto Pharmaceuticals, a company specialising in beauty products containing pearl calcium.

Kokichi Mikimoto was born 25 January 1858 in Toba, Shima Province.

Kokichi Mikimoto left school at the age of 13 and sold vegetables to support his family.

At the age of 20, Kokichi Mikimoto noticed the many flaws of pearls as he judged a pearl exhibition in 1878.

Kokichi Mikimoto began his search of an alternative method to produce pearls as the chairman of the Shima Marine Products Improvement Association.

In 1888, Kokichi Mikimoto obtained a loan to start his first pearl oyster farm at the Shinmei inlet on Ago Bay in Mie prefecture with his wife and partner Ume.

Kokichi Mikimoto introduced these pearls at a marine products exposition in Norway in 1897 and began an export business.

In 1927, Kokichi Mikimoto met with inventor Thomas Edison, who was in awe of Kokichi Mikimoto's cultured pearls as it was "supposed to be biologically impossible".

Kokichi Mikimoto had received a patent in 1896 for producing hemispherical pearls, or mabes, and a 1908 patent for culturing in mantle tissue, but he could not use the Mise-Nishikawa method without invalidating his own patents.

Kokichi Mikimoto then altered his patent application to cover a technique to make round pearls in mantle tissue, which was granted in 1916.

Kokichi Mikimoto finally made arrangements to use Nishikawa's methods after 1916, and Kokichi Mikimoto's business began to expand rapidly.

The Kokichi Mikimoto business expanded internationally, opening stores in London.

Kokichi Mikimoto promoted Japanese pearls in Europe and the US to counteract falling prices.

Kokichi Mikimoto publicly burnt tons of low-quality pearls as a publicity stunt to establish a reputation that the Mikimoto company only sold high-quality cultured pearls.

Kokichi Mikimoto had to constantly fight allegations that his pearls were only "imitations" of real pearls, despite scientific reports to the contrary.

Kokichi Mikimoto took advantage of every opportunity to personally promote his pearls, and took part in the 1926 Philadelphia World Exposition in which he displayed a replica of the "Liberty Bell" covered with pearls.

Kokichi Mikimoto was the official jeweler of the Miss USA, Miss Universe and Miss Teen USA pageants, under the Miss Universe Organization.

Kokichi Mikimoto's wife was Ume, who was his partner in creating the cultured pearl.

On 21 September 1954, Kokichi Mikimoto died at the age of 96.