Ryosuke Namiki, who was an alumni and professor of Tokyo Nautical School, successfully invented a gold writing tip for fountain pens and established Namiki Manufacturing Co., Ltd., in 1918 with 200,000 yen in capital to start the production and sales of fountain pens. Namiki's success owed to the collaboration from his friend and classmate Masao Wada. In 1938, the corporate name was changed to the Pilot Pen Co., Ltd., as the company grew.