This page analyzes the market share and market size of the toilet manufacturers in Japan. It also includes an overview of major Japanese toilet companies such as TOTO, Panasonic and LIXIL.
Market share of the Japanese toilet industry in 2020
Using the sales of the toilet companies listed in the “Latest Ranking of Sales by Industry” as the numerator and the market size of the industry described below as the denominator, a simple calculation of Japanese toilet industry market share in 2020 yields the following rankings.
No.1 TOTO 23.6%
No.2 LIXIL 23.1%
Panasonic is also a major player in domestic toilets and bathrooms, but is not included in this ranking due to lack of information disclosure.
Market size
This website uses data published by various research companies to calculate the market share of the toilet industry, assuming a global market size of 1900 billion yen in 2020. The data used for reference is as follows. According to the research firm Yano Research Institute, the Japanese market for home appliances is estimated to be 1.877 trillion in 2019.
Books to read for better understanding of the industry
The 2021-2026 World Outlook for Ceramic Sanitary Wares
Major toilet companies
LIXIL
LIXIL is a housing and construction materials manufacturer that was formed in 2011 through the merger of Tostem, INAX, Shin Nikkei, Sun Wave Industries, and Toyo Exterior. INAX was formerly in the sanitary ware business, and is based in Tokoname, a famous pottery production area. In 2020, it sold Permasteelisa, an Italian exterior wall decoration company, to Atlas, an American investment company.
TOTO
TOTO is one of Japan’s leading sanitary ware manufacturers, founded in 1917 when the sanitary ware division of the Morimura Group was spun off into a separate company. The company’s head office was established in Kitakyushu City, near the Chikuho coalfield, one of large coal fields that supported the modernization of Japan, and the head office is still located in Kitakyushu City today. Unlike LIXIL, the company’s strategy is to expand overseas through organic growth. Unlike LIXIL, the company’s strategy is to expand overseas through organic growth. It was the first company in the world to develop the Washlet, and has an established reputation for its technological capabilities.
Panasonic
Panasonic is one of Japan’s leading electronics manufacturers. The company has integrated with Matsushita Electric Works and Sanyo Electric, and has a global presence as a general electronics manufacturer. The company operates under a divisional structure of Appliances, Auto, Industrial and Communication Solutions.
Home appliances: While other Japanese electronics giants such as Toshiba and Sharp are struggling, the company is aiming to expand globally in the home appliance field. It is competing with Asian companies with low-cost strategies and Western companies with premium strategies. The company boasts one of the largest market shares for vacuum cleaners in Japan, and is also entering the robot vacuum cleaner market, which is expected to grow in the future. Electric shavers are marketed under the Lamdash brand.
Home appliances: While other Japanese electronics giants such as Toshiba and Sharp are struggling, the company is aiming to expand globally in the home appliance field. It is competing with Asian companies with low-cost strategies and Western companies with premium strategies. The company boasts one of the largest market shares for vacuum cleaners in Japan, and is also entering the robot vacuum cleaner market, which is expected to grow in the future. Electric shavers are marketed under the Lamdash brand.
In-vehicle batteries: The company has established a three-pole production system with Tesla at the Gigafactory in Nevada, USA, in Japan, and at the Dalian factory (Liaoning Province) in China. In addition to Tesla, it is also collaborating with Toyota to meet the Chinese market with an all-round strategy. It will be interesting to see whether it can win the power game in what has become an equipment industry.
Small lithium-ion batteries: The company also has strength in the battery business for notebook PCs and smartphones.
Air Conditioning: It has been in the air conditioning business since 1957. It is one of the largest companies in Japan. The Aeolia brand is famous in Japan.
Automotive components: It is strong in the field of electronic devices such as audio equipment (car audio) and car navigation systems. It is in a position to demonstrate our comprehensive capabilities in the field of next-generation cockpits and connected automobiles.
Dry cell batteries: It has been producing dry cell batteries since 1931. It has dominated the market with the National High-Top brand and are now expanding our business worldwide under the Evolta brand.
Toilets and bathrooms: It is engaged in the manufacture of plastic toilets, bathrooms, system kitchens, and other water-related housing equipment.
