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Toshiba Appliances

Home Appliances & Small Appliances · Kawasaki, Japan · Since 2014

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Who owns Toshiba Appliances?

Midea Group controls Toshiba's home-appliance business. It bought 80.1% of Toshiba Lifestyle in 2016 and uses the TOSHIBA name under a 40-year licence.

Verified August 6, 2026 · 10 sources

Latest at Toshiba Appliances

Updated Aug 7, 2026

Toshiba Appliances combines a long Japanese appliance heritage with Midea Group's global operating scale. The key buyer issue is separating the TOSHIBA trademark licence from Toshiba Lifestyle's operating role and then validating the exact factory and regional seller for each model.

Toshiba VC-CLZ74DS cordless vacuum and dock in a home setting
Official Toshiba Lifestyle image of the VC-CLZ74DS cordless vacuum and dust station in a residential interior.

Ownership

  1. Parent companyMidea
  2. BrandToshiba Appliances

Toshiba Corporation and Midea agreed in 2016 that Midea would acquire 80.1% of Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corporation and receive a 40-year worldwide licence to use the TOSHIBA brand for home appliances. Toshiba's completion notice states that Toshiba Lifestyle became a Midea subsidiary.

Full ownership note

Current Toshiba Lifestyle materials continue to identify the company as the developer, manufacturer and seller of TOSHIBA-brand home appliances within Midea Group.

Ownership & entity evidence
Toshiba trademark, Toshiba Lifestyle and Midea Group relationship map
Toshiba Corporation granted the home-appliance brand licence; Toshiba Lifestyle operates the business as a Midea Group subsidiary.

Products

  • Refrigeration, laundry and cooking appliancesToshiba Lifestyle's current Japanese range covers refrigerators, washing and drying, microwave ovens, rice cookers and other kitchen appliances.
  • Vacuum cleaners and floorcareThe current portfolio includes cordless, cyclone and bagged vacuum cleaners, including models with dust stations and sensor-led cleaning features.
  • Air, comfort and small domestic appliancesRegional ranges also include air conditioners, fans, humidifiers, irons, garment care, beverage and other small appliances.

Operations

Made by

  • Toshiba Lifestyle's company profile states that its business is the development, manufacture and sale of home appliances.
  • The official company profile lists manufacturing companies in Japan, Thailand and China alongside separate sales and service companies.
  • Toshiba Lifestyle's quality page describes collaboration with Midea's Nansha smart factory for household air-conditioner production.

Sold through

  • Toshiba Lifestyle maintains official product, ecommerce, manual, repair and customer-support channels in Japan.
  • Toshiba Lifestyle states that it delivers home appliances in Japan and worldwide, supported by domestic and overseas group companies.
  • Current official regional sites list materially different Toshiba vacuum and appliance assortments.
Manufacturing & channel evidence
Toshiba appliance model, factory, importer and warranty verification workflow
Toshiba Lifestyle's group factory list shows operating scale, but buyers still need model-level maker, origin, importer and warranty records.
For buyers and distributors: what to verify (6)
  1. Identify the contracting Toshiba Lifestyle group company and request the exact SKU's legal manufacturer and origin documents.
  2. Do not assign a model to a listed factory from geography alone; match the rating label, factory declaration and shipment records.
  3. Do not generalize this evidence to refrigerators, laundry, vacuums or other categories; verify each SKU separately.
  4. Confirm the named seller, warranty provider and support eligibility for the model and serial number.
  5. Use the destination country's official catalogue and legal terms to identify importer, distributor, certification and service route.
  6. Verify channel authorization, app region, consumables, spare parts, returns and warranty before resale or cross-border procurement.

Competition

Common questions about Toshiba Appliances

Is Toshiba owned by Midea?
Toshiba's home-appliance business is. In 2016 Midea acquired 80.1% of Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corporation and a 40-year worldwide licence to use the TOSHIBA brand on home appliances. Toshiba Corporation keeps the trademark.
Are Toshiba and Midea the same company?
No. Toshiba Corporation is a separate company. Only its former home-appliance arm, Toshiba Lifestyle, became a Midea subsidiary.
Who makes Toshiba appliances?
Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corporation, based in Kawasaki, Japan, which develops, manufactures and sells TOSHIBA-brand home appliances within Midea Group.
Where are Toshiba appliances made?
Toshiba Lifestyle lists manufacturing companies in Japan, Thailand and China. The rating label shows the country of origin for a specific model.

Timeline

  1. Early Japanese refrigerator and washing-machine milestones

    Toshiba Lifestyle's official history records the launch of Japan's first domestically produced washing machine and household electric refrigerator by a Toshiba predecessor.

    Sources: [2]

  2. Toshiba Lifestyle becomes a Midea subsidiary

    Toshiba completed the transfer of an 80.1% interest, while the home-appliance business continued under the Toshiba Lifestyle name and TOSHIBA brand licence.

    Sources: [3][4]

  3. Toshiba Lifestyle opens Tokyo Design Center

    The company opened a Shibuya design base and described its role in advancing Toshiba-brand home appliances within Midea Group.

    Sources: [8]

News & analysis

Industry · Who Owns Toshiba Appliances? Midea, Toshiba Lifestyle and the 40-Year Brand License Explained

Sources (10)

Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corporation, Toshiba Corporation and Midea Group, Toshiba Corporation and more · Show all
  1. Company Overview — Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corporation · Accessed Aug 6, 2026
  2. Corporate History — Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corporation · Accessed Aug 6, 2026
  3. Toshiba and Midea Agree on the Transfer of Toshiba's Home Appliances Business — Toshiba Corporation and Midea Group · Published Mar 30, 2016 · Accessed Aug 6, 2026
  4. Completion of Share Transfer of Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corporation to Midea — Toshiba Corporation · Published Jun 30, 2016 · Accessed Aug 6, 2026
  5. Vacuum Cleaners — Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corporation · Accessed Aug 6, 2026
  6. VC-CLZ74DS Cordless Vacuum Cleaner — Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corporation · Accessed Aug 6, 2026
  7. Made with Toshiba Quality — Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corporation · Accessed Aug 6, 2026
  8. Tokyo Design Center Opens in Shibuya — Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corporation · Published Aug 28, 2025 · Accessed Aug 6, 2026
  9. Change of Representative Director and President — Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corporation · Published Feb 20, 2024 · Accessed Nov 5, 2026
  10. Change of Officers — Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corporation · Published Apr 16, 2025 · Accessed Nov 5, 2026

First published: Aug 6, 2026 · Last verified: Aug 6, 2026 · Last updated: Nov 7, 2026