Mikimoto

Mikimoto (K. Mikimoto and Co., Ltd.) is a Tokyo pearl and jewellery company founded by Kokichi Mikimoto, who is credited with creating the first cultured pearl. The first Mikimoto Pearl Store opened in Ginza in 1899. It is privately held.

What is Mikimoto?

Mikimoto is a Japanese luxury jeweller specialising in cultured pearls and other pearl and gemstone jewellery. Its Ginza flagship is at 4-5-5 Ginza in Tokyo, and the company also makes ceremonial jewellery for the Imperial House of Japan.

History

Kokichi Mikimoto began raising akoya oysters in 1888 and opened the Mikimoto Pearl Store in Ginza in March 1899. He obtained the first hemispherical pearls in 1893 and was granted a patent in 1896. A jewellery workshop followed in 1907, a London branch in 1913 and a Paris branch in 1928. The business was reorganised into two companies in 1949, merged in 1972 as K. Mikimoto and Co., Ltd., and opened a Fifth Avenue store in New York in 1975.

Business model and distribution

Overseas stores are listed in New York, Costa Mesa, Las Vegas, Beverly Hills, Paris, London, Shanghai, Beijing, Macau, Hong Kong, Taipei, Bangkok and Singapore. The company runs its own jewellery manufacturing arm, Mikimoto Jewelry Mfg., whose headquarters and factory building in Minamisuna, Tokyo, was completed in 2024. The Ginza 2 building opened in 2005 and the rebuilt Ginza flagship in 2017.

Why it matters

Mikimoto is central to the story of cultured pearls and is one of the best-known Japanese luxury jewellery brands. The company is listed as privately held. Its current president was not confirmed for 2026, so no leadership is stated.

Frequently asked questions

Who founded Mikimoto?

Mikimoto was founded by Kokichi Mikimoto, who began raising akoya oysters in 1888 and opened the Mikimoto Pearl Store in Ginza in 1899.

Is Mikimoto a luxury brand?

Yes. Mikimoto is a Japanese luxury jeweller known for cultured pearls and has flagship stores in cities such as Tokyo, New York, Paris and London.

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