TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Canon Inc (>> Canon Inc) is considering investing in Toshiba Corp's (>> Toshiba Corp) chip business, Kyodo news agency reported on Friday.

The report, which did not cite any sources, comes as Toshiba begins preparations to sell a minority stake in its core chip business, aiming to raise funds ahead of an upcoming multi-billion dollar writedown.

A representative for Canon was not immediately available for comment.

A Toshiba spokesman said the company may split off its memory chip business and sell a stake but it cannot comment on the specifics of the process.

(Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

Stocks treated in this article : Canon Inc, Toshiba Corp