Recently, Toshiba Lifestyle Corporation hosted an event at Shibuya Sakura Stage in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, to celebrate the opening of its co-creation hub, the "Tokyo Design Center" (TDC). This center is dedicated to product design and the external dissemination of related information.
As a core hub for Toshiba to strengthen its long-term brand image of "JAPAN Premium," TDC not only brings together design and creative capabilities but also undertakes the mission of conveying brand value to the outside world starting from design. It serves as a space integrating co-creation and innovation. TDC features a variety of real living scenarios with different design styles, including a Co-Creation Space (a collaborative area for listening to and incorporating insights from daily life), a Working Space (with office functions), and a LAB (a creative workshop for nurturing free ideas and developing products).
With the launch of TDC, Toshiba will go beyond the scope of traditional product design. Starting not only from home appliances but also paying extensive attention to everyone’s lifestyle, Toshiba will leverage the unique advantage of Shibuya—a place where diverse values converge. By conducting exchanges and discussions with external partners and educational institutions, the company will further expand the distinctive design philosophy of Toshiba’s home appliances.
Kenji Shiraito, Representative Director and President, stated that since joining Midea Group in July 2016, Toshiba Lifestyle has fully integrated the essence of "Japanese manufacturing craftsmanship" with the strengths of a "global efficient production system." It has achieved sustained growth in a "trusted partnership" that respects each other’s advantages. With global sales growing for five consecutive years, the company is entering a phase of "positive cycle of growth and profitability." Guided by the concept of "Details Matter," Toshiba will promote designs that are both close to people’s lifestyles and future-thinking, further strengthening its "JAPAN Premium" brand image.
Kenji Shiraito, Representative Director and President
Takayuki Miyazawa, TDC Director, unveiled Toshiba’s new design philosophy for home appliances: "Design for Center of Life". Taking the brand’s manifesto "Details Matter" as its starting point, this philosophy focuses on the things and experiences that truly matter in everyone’s life and integrates them into design with meticulous attention to detail. He explained that TDC will leverage the creative atmosphere of Shibuya to launch "input activities" such as "Culture & Exchange Sessions" and "Future Life Co-Creation Workshops," as well as "output activities" including "Shibuya Pop-up Living Rooms" and "Home Appliances × Art Installations." These initiatives will drive design practice with co-creation at its core.
During the round table discussion titled "TDC and the Future of Product Design," Director Miyazawa emphasized that TDC’s core concept is to transform the office into a space that recreates living environments, allowing designers to create in settings close to daily life. Suzuki (note: full name not specified in the original text) pointed out that design should be carried out from the user’s perspective in scenarios as close to real life as possible, and creativity should be understood from the perspective of a complete individual. He also mentioned that products loved for a long time often act as "supporting roles" in life—and it is precisely this role that adds color to daily life. Miyazawa added that the ultimate responsibility for design and manufacturing should lie with in-house designers, and TDC will take on this core mission.