Toshiba was formed by the merger of two Japanese companies in 1939.

The first company was an industrial manufacturing company founded by Tanaka Hisashige in Tokyo in 1875. In 1882, Tanaka Hisashige's heir, Tanaka Daikichi, named it Tanaka Manufacturing Co., Ltd., and then established Shibaura Manufacturing Co., Ltd. on this basis in 1904. At the beginning of the 20th century, Shibaura Manufacturing was mainly engaged in the supply of heavy-duty electromechanical manufacturing in Japan, and gradually grew into a well-known industrial manufacturer.

The second company, formerly known as Shiraysha, was founded in Tokyo in 1890 by Ichisuke Fujioka and Masaichi Miyoshi. It was the first company in Japan to produce incandescent light bulbs. After that, Baireshe began to produce a variety of different consumer electronics products. In 1899, Bairesha changed its name to Tokyo Electric.

In 1939, Tokyo Electric and Shibaura Manufacturing Co., Ltd. formally merged to form "Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co., Ltd.". In 1984, the new brand name "Toshiba" was used. The new names are the beginning characters of the original two companies, and their English names are also combined according to the Japanese pinyin: To stands for the Japanese pronunciation of Dong, and Shiba stands for the pronunciation of Shiba.

Toshiba is a global high-tech technology leader enterprise group. His product line includes modern household appliances, such as TVs, refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners and small household appliances, and various electronic components and raw materials. And power systems, in addition to industrial and railway infrastructure construction equipment.