Toyota Motor Kyushu
Corporate brand
UnclaimedToyota Motor Kyushu is Toyota Motor Corporation's Kyushu-based manufacturing subsidiary for Lexus vehicles, engines, and hybrid systems.
Last updated August 25, 2026
Overview
Toyota Motor Kyushu (TMK) is a manufacturing subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation established in 1991 in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. It operates vehicle, engine, and hybrid-system manufacturing facilities in the northern Kyushu region and has become one of Toyota's principal production bases for Lexus vehicles. Its headquarters and vehicle assembly operations are located in Miyawaka, where the Miyata plant produces Lexus models for the Japanese and export markets. The company also operates the Kanda plant in Kanda, Fukuoka, which manufactures engines and related powertrain components, and the Kokura plant in Kitakyushu, which produces hybrid systems and components. A technical center at Miyata supports manufacturing-related research and development, including interior and exterior design work and production engineering. Toyota developed the Kyushu manufacturing project during the late 1980s, when demand for higher-end mid-size vehicles was rising while Toyota's traditional production centers in and around Aichi faced labor shortages, rising wages, and limited room for expansion. Kyushu offered industrial land, transportation infrastructure, available workers, and tax incentives for investment in regional industry. Toyota formally established Toyota Motor Kyushu on 8 February 1991 and completed the Miyata plant in December 1992. Vehicle production began that month, initially with Toyota's Mark II line. The plant also served as a testing ground for a more flexible, semi-automated production approach in which a single assembly line was divided into smaller operating sections and employees assumed broader responsibilities. During its first decade, TMK produced several rear-wheel-drive Toyota models, including the Mark II and Chaser, before adapting to changing demand for front-wheel-drive vehicles and sport utility vehicles. In 1997 it began producing Lexus-badged vehicles, including the Lexus ES and the Harrier, the model related to the Lexus RX. This marked a strategic shift. From the mid-2000s, TMK increasingly focused on Lexus production and exports, while expanding into hybrid systems and engine manufacturing. A second Miyata assembly line opened in 2005, an aluminum engine plant at Kanda began operations that year, and the Kokura hybrid-system plant opened in 2008. The company reached a reported annual vehicle-production peak of approximately 443,000 units in 2007, before the global financial crisis sharply reduced output the following year. Its production portfolio subsequently concentrated on Lexus vehicles such as the RX, ES, IS, CT, NX, and UX. Some models were transferred to other Toyota plants as Toyota adjusted capacity and regional competitiveness. By 2008, most TMK-built vehicles were exported, with the United States representing the largest individual destination among the markets identified in company and industry descriptions. TMK has also participated in Toyota's transition toward electrified vehicles. It produced hybrid-related systems and began assembling Lexus hybrid models before rolling out the battery-electric Lexus UX 300e in 2019. In 2021 it began production of the second-generation Lexus NX, including the Lexus NX plug-in hybrid, while Toyota considered how its Kyushu operations might support the future electrification of Lexus production. In 2023, TMK and Kyushu University agreed to cooperate on developing seaweed beds in Fukuoka as part of efforts connected with carbon-offset and environmental activity. The company remains an operating Toyota manufacturing subsidiary with a principal role in Lexus vehicle and powertrain production.
History
Toyota Motor Kyushu was created as Toyota sought a new Japanese production base outside the crowded industrial centers of Aichi. During the late 1980s, Toyota faced strong demand for higher-end vehicles but encountered labor shortages, rising wages, and constrained expansion capacity around its established factories. Kyushu was attractive because the region had available industrial labor, the Miyata Industrial Park offered space and transport links, and regional-industry legislation provided tax incentives. In July 1990, Toyota agreed on land arrangements with local authorities in Miyata and Wakamiya. Preparation groups were organized in early 1991, and Toyota Motor Kyushu was incorporated on 8 February 1991. The Miyata plant was completed in December 1992 with a nominal capacity of up to 200,000 vehicles a year, and vehicle assembly began that month. Its first major product was the seventh-generation Toyota Mark II, transferred from Toyota's Motomachi operations and produced in cooperation with another Toyota production company. The Chaser followed in 1994, and the eighth-generation Mark II entered production in 1996. The plant simultaneously tested a production system that divided one assembly line into smaller sections and gave workers greater responsibility for quality and process improvement. Toyota later applied elements of this operating model at other factories in Japan and overseas. The end of Japan's asset-price bubble and the subsequent recession created a difficult environment for TMK's early products. At the same time, buyers in Japan and overseas increasingly favored sport utility vehicles and SUV-like vehicles over traditional rear-wheel-drive sedans. TMK responded by making its workforce more multi-skilled and its production processes more flexible. In 1997 it added the Lexus ES-related Windom and the Harrier, a model associated with the Lexus RX. These products began the company's long-term transition toward front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive vehicles and toward Lexus as its principal vehicle brand. TMK's strategic importance within Toyota grew during the late 1990s and early 2000s. It participated in Toyota Production System development and expanded its portfolio with vehicles such as the Highlander/Kluger, later generations of the Windom/Lexus ES, and the Harrier/RX. The company stopped assembling the Mark II in 2000 and the Chaser in 2001, completing its move away from its initial rear-wheel-drive sedan focus. From 2005, TMK became increasingly export-oriented and Lexus-centered. A second Miyata assembly line dedicated to Lexus vehicles opened in 2005. The company also entered hybrid-related production, added the Kanda aluminum engine plant, and later opened the Kokura hybrid-system plant. Lexus models including the IS, ES, RX, HS, CT, NX, and UX passed through the company's production system at different times. TMK reported its highest annual vehicle output in 2007, at about 443,000 units, but production fell substantially in 2008 after the global financial crisis. Toyota subsequently rebalanced production among its factories, including transferring non-hybrid Highlander production to Indiana and moving some Lexus model production to other Japanese plants. Electrification has become an increasingly important part of TMK's manufacturing role. The company produced hybrid systems and hybrid-equipped Lexus models before beginning battery-electric Lexus UX 300e production in late 2019. In November 2021 it began producing the second-generation Lexus NX, including a Lexus plug-in hybrid. Toyota has considered whether future Lexus electrification plans would justify an EV-focused assembly line in Kyushu. In parallel, TMK has pursued environmental initiatives, including a 2023 agreement with Kyushu University concerning the development of Fukuoka seaweed beds for carbon-related environmental purposes. The company currently operates the Miyata vehicle plant, Kanda engine facilities, and Kokura hybrid-system facilities in Fukuoka Prefecture.
- 2023
Environmental cooperation with Kyushu University
[1]TMK and Kyushu University agreed to cooperate on Fukuoka seaweed-bed development connected with carbon-offset efforts.
- 2021
Second-generation Lexus NX enters production
[1]TMK began assembling the second-generation NX, including a plug-in hybrid variant.
- 2019
Battery-electric Lexus production begins
[1]The first Lexus UX 300e vehicles were rolled off the production line at TMK.
- 2014
Lexus NX enters production
[1]TMK added the Lexus NX to its production portfolio.
- 2008
Kokura hybrid plant opens
[1]TMK opened the Kokura plant for hybrid systems and added further assembly capacity at Kanda.
- 2007
Vehicle output reaches reported peak
[1]The company recorded approximately 443,000 vehicles of annual production, its highest reported level before the global financial crisis.
- 2005
Lexus assembly expands
[1]A second Miyata assembly line dedicated to Lexus vehicles opened, while TMK also entered hybrid-related production and established the Kanda engine plant.
- 1997
Lexus-related production begins
[1]TMK added the Windom/Lexus ES and Harrier/Lexus RX-related production, beginning its shift toward Lexus vehicles and front- or all-wheel-drive models.
- 1992
Miyata plant opens and vehicle production begins
[1]The Miyata vehicle plant was completed in December, and TMK began assembling Toyota vehicles, initially the Mark II.
- 1991
Toyota Motor Kyushu is established
[1]Toyota formally established Toyota Motor Kyushu on 8 February as a manufacturing subsidiary in Fukuoka Prefecture.
Products and positioning
A Toyota manufacturing and engineering base specializing in Lexus vehicles, premium-vehicle powertrains, hybrid systems, and export-oriented production.
luxury compact SUV · 2014
Lexus NX
The Lexus NX is a compact luxury SUV assembled at TMK's Miyata plant. The company began production of the model in 2014 and later produced the second-generation NX, including a plug-in hybrid version. It is assigned to Miyata assembly line No. 1 in the production configuration described for 2023.
luxury subcompact SUV · 2018
Lexus UX
The Lexus UX is a compact crossover produced at the Miyata plant. TMK added the model in 2018 and subsequently assembled the UX 300e battery-electric derivative, making the plant part of Lexus's early battery-electric manufacturing program. The UX is assigned to Miyata assembly line No. 1 in the production configuration described for 2023.
luxury mid-size sedan · 1997
Lexus ES
The Lexus ES is a front-wheel-drive luxury sedan that helped TMK diversify beyond its original rear-wheel-drive Toyota sedan portfolio. The plant produced successive ES generations, including the sixth-generation model from 2012 and the seventh-generation model from 2018. It is assigned to Miyata assembly line No. 2 in the production configuration described for 2023.
luxury SUV · 1997
Lexus RX
The Lexus RX is a luxury SUV derived from the Harrier-related production program that became important to TMK in the late 1990s. TMK assembled successive RX generations and hybrid versions, including the third-generation RX from 2008 and the fourth-generation RX from 2015. It is assigned to Miyata assembly line No. 2 in the production configuration described for 2023.
powertrain components · 2005
Automotive engines
The Kanda plant manufactures engines and related powertrain components. It began with aluminum-engine production and later operated separate powertrain and casting-related facilities. Engine manufacturing complements TMK's vehicle assembly operations and supplies Toyota Group production programs.
electrified powertrain systems · 2008
Hybrid systems
The Kokura plant manufactures hybrid systems and associated components. TMK entered this field in the mid-2000s as hybrid Lexus and Toyota vehicles became part of its production portfolio. The facility supports the company's broader role in electrified powertrain manufacturing.
Marketing campaigns
- 2023Fukuoka seaweed-bed development cooperation
Japan
Toyota Motor Kyushu and Kyushu University agreed to jointly develop seaweed beds in Fukuoka as an environmental initiative associated with offsetting carbon emissions.
Outcome. The agreement established a joint environmental-development initiative; the available reference does not report quantified results.
Brand decisions
2021
Introduce second-generation Lexus NX productionGeneration changeBackground
The Lexus NX was entering a new generation with electrified variants, while global supply disruptions affected parts procurement.
Action taken
TMK began production of the second-generation NX, including a Lexus plug-in hybrid vehicle.
Aftermath
The decision reinforced the plant's role in Lexus SUV and electrified-vehicle manufacturing.
2019
Begin battery-electric Lexus productionProduct launchBackground
Toyota and Lexus were expanding electrified vehicle offerings and required manufacturing capacity for a Lexus battery-electric model.
Action taken
TMK began producing the Lexus UX 300e.
Aftermath
The move extended TMK's role from hybrid manufacturing into battery-electric Lexus vehicle assembly.
2012
Transfer Highlander production to IndianaStrategyBackground
Toyota sought to make Highlander production more competitive and to align production with its North American market.
Action taken
Toyota announced that remaining Highlander assembly at TMK would move to Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana by 2013.
Aftermath
TMK continued concentrating on Lexus and other products while Highlander production was consolidated in the United States.
2005
Make TMK a Lexus-focused export baseStrategyBackground
Toyota was expanding the Lexus marque internationally and needed additional premium-vehicle production capacity.
Action taken
TMK opened a second Miyata assembly line dedicated to Lexus vehicles and expanded into hybrid-related production.
Aftermath
Lexus vehicles became the core of TMK's vehicle operations, with a large share of output directed to overseas markets.
1991
Establish a separate Kyushu manufacturing subsidiaryStrategyBackground
Toyota needed additional production capacity and sought to address labor and cost pressures affecting its Aichi-area factories.
Action taken
Toyota created Toyota Motor Kyushu as a legally separate subsidiary while retaining close operational control over the manufacturing site.
Aftermath
The structure enabled Toyota to establish the Miyata plant and later develop TMK into a major Lexus and powertrain manufacturing base.
Recent events
- 2023
Toyota Motor Kyushu and Kyushu University cooperate on seaweed-bed development[1]
Campaign · Other
TMK and Kyushu University signed an agreement to develop seaweed beds in Fukuoka as part of environmental activity associated with carbon-offset efforts.
- 2022
Toyota announces the end of Lexus CT production[1]
Product generation
Toyota stated that production of the Lexus CT would end by October 2022, affecting a model previously assembled by TMK.
- 2021
Second-generation Lexus NX production begins at TMK[1]
Product generation · Product launch
TMK began manufacturing the second-generation Lexus NX, including the first Lexus-badged plug-in hybrid vehicle, amid supply and procurement disruptions associated in part with the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 2019
Toyota Motor Kyushu begins Lexus UX 300e production[1]
Product launch
TMK rolled out the Lexus UX 300e, its first Lexus-badged battery-electric vehicle, as the company expanded its involvement in electrified vehicle production.
- 2014
Toyota Motor Kyushu starts Lexus NX production[1]
Product launch
The Lexus NX was added to TMK's vehicle-production portfolio, strengthening the plant's role in Lexus sport-utility-vehicle manufacturing.
- 2012
Toyota shifts remaining Highlander production to Indiana[1]
Other
Toyota announced that remaining Highlander assembly at TMK would be transferred to Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana by 2013 to improve production competitiveness.
- 2008
Toyota Motor Kyushu expands into engines and hybrid systems[1]
Product launch
The company added further engine capacity at Kanda and opened the Kokura plant for hybrid-system production, broadening its activities beyond final vehicle assembly.
- 2005
Toyota Motor Kyushu begins Lexus-focused second assembly line[1]
Product generation
TMK opened a second assembly line at the Miyata plant dedicated to Lexus vehicles, expanding its vehicle-production capacity and reinforcing its role in Toyota's premium-vehicle manufacturing network.
Sources3 sources
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