Who Makes Tohatsu Outboard Motors & Where Are They Built?
Tohatsu is building a name for itself manufacturing quality outboard motors, boat motors that combine their drive mechanism and power source into a single unit attached to the back of a vessel. While the motors are manufactured under the auspices of Japan's Tohatsu Corporation, there are actually two partners involved in production: Brunswick and Honda.
Tohatsu Marine Corporation was established back in February 1988 as a joint venture between Brunswick and Tohatsu. Brunswick is also the parent company of Mercury Marine, which manufactures Mercury boat engines, and you'll frequently hear Tohatsu and Mercury mentioned together in discussions of smaller outboards.
Honda entered the picture in 2013, when Tohatsu announced a collaboration in which Honda would supply four-stroke models ranging from 60 to 250 horsepower. However, Tohatsu does continue to develop its own engines. In April 2026, the company announced global availability of its MFS150, a 150 horsepower model that the company calls its largest self-developed outboard yet.
Where are Tohatsu outboard motors built?
Like Honda, which has built some of the most powerful outboard engines in history, Tohatsu manufactures its engines in Japan, specifically in Komagane City in Nagano Prefecture. Its operations relocated to Komagane from another city in Nagano, Okaya in January 2005, though the company's first mass-produced outboard debuted in 1956.
The move led to a major upgrade to Tohatsu's facilities, as a new assembly line was added to bring the total up to three, and coating lines doubled from one to two. The internal production flow covers everything from incoming parts, machining, and coating, as well as assembly, inspection, and shipment. In 2026, the company celebrated 70 years of outboard production, with total deliveries exceeding five million engines.
Meanwhile, Honda manufactures the Honda-supplied BFT models for Tohatsu from its production center, the Hosoe Outboard Engine Plant in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. Hosoe is Honda's global production base for outboards ranging from 8 all the way up to 350 horsepower.