Japan’s biggest auto trade show is set to return on Thursday for the first time in four years after the biennial event was halted in 2021 due to the pandemic, but a lot has changed since 2019.
This year, the organizer renamed the event for the first time since 1964, with the Japan Mobility Show replacing the Tokyo Motor Show.
The Tokyo Motor Show was long a popular event among car enthusiasts in Japan, and it had also earned its position as one of the five major auto shows around the world along with those in Frankfurt, Geneva, Detroit and Paris.
Yet its popularity had been waning — with a dwindling number of visitors — as interest among automakers shifted to events in China.
The situation led the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), the organizer of the event and Japan’s largest auto lobbying body, to ditch the longtime name in a bid to focus more on mobility. The moves comes amid a rise in new technological trends, such as connected vehicles, autonomous vehicles and electrification, which are upending the industry.
The event's transformation mirrors the approach to Germany’s major auto show, which was formerly known as the Frankfurt Motor Show. The organizer changed the name to IAA Mobility in 2021.
JAMA Chairman Akio Toyoda, who is also the chairman of auto giant Toyota, said last month that the move comes as the industry is aiming to "accelerate the reform" of the event in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.
Reforming the event has been one of the top priorities for Toyoda since he took the helm of the JAMA for the second time in 2018. He appears to be aiming to break the mold of the traditional format for such trade fairs, which in the past mainly put a spotlight on automakers as they displayed their new vehicles.
Given that technological trends are stretching the scope of the car sector, Toyoda has stressed that the new show will have to “go beyond the auto industry."
"I still don’t know the difference between the motor show and the mobility show, but they’re trying to expand the players and participants,” Koji Endo, the managing director and head of equity research at SBI Securities, said during a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan last week.
The move to rebrand the show was likely meant to encourage a broader range of participants, including a greater number of startups, said Endo, who closely follows the auto industry.
It appears that attempts to attract a larger number of participants were successful, as a record 475 firms are participating. That far outpaces the 192 seen at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2019. The event will feature a startup area and will also host a pitch contest.
In a zone called Tokyo Future Tour, about 140 firms are offering a glimpse of future life in the capital, with displays focusing on themes including space, robotics and food.
The zone features self-service robots and 3D printed sushi being displayed alongside Elon Musk’s Starlink terminals, SkyDrive’s flying cars and SoftBank’s Pepper robot.
SkyDrive said it decided to join the event for the first time because flying cars are all about the future and the firm considers itself a "representative of the next generation of air mobility."
To attract families with children, the show is also collaborating with KidZania, an amusement park where children can experience what it's like to work in various jobs. At the Japan Mobility Show, children will be able to experience roles like designing vehicles or manufacturing them. KidZania also participated in the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show and was popular among visiting families.
Of course, displays by major automakers are taking center stage as well.
While automakers appear to be eager to catch up with electrification trends, their presentations are also focused on showcasing not just cars but a wider range of mobility.
Honda is presenting a series of mobility products, including its HondaJet and bicycles. It is also showing off a personal mobility device that looks like a chair, with users able to control it while sitting.
Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe also urged observers to “keep your expectations high” during a media briefing on Wednesday as he unveiled a new Prelude concept model — the company's first EV iteration of the model.
Mibe further presented automated driving offerings and Sustaina-C — a car model that was made using recycled materials to mitigate the environmental impact.
Toyota President and CEO Koji Sato spoke about the company’s EV transition and its multipurpose vehicle offerings. One example included a vehicle that can function as a delivery van, a camper van or remote office.
Aiming to possibly tap into the air mobility sector, Subaru revealed a concept flying car that was made by combining technology from its space and aviation units.
As many automakers have skipped overseas shows in recent years, top U.S. firms such as General Motors and Ford, as well as Germany’s Volkswagen, are not participating in the event.
Among the few overseas automakers, EV manufacturer BYD, the first Chinese carmaker to participate, is attracting attention from the media. Having started selling its EVs in Japan this year, BYD, which has topped Tesla as the world’s top EV seller, is aiming to improve its brand image in Japan through the mobility show.
“We have gained a certain number of customers who have bought our vehicles and have become familiar with our brand, but we would like more people to know our brand,” said Tomoaki Endo, director of the marketing division at BYD’s Japan branch.
The Japan Mobility Show officially kicks off on Thursday at Tokyo Big Sight. It will be open to the general public from Saturday and runs until Nov. 5. The organizer hopes to attract more than 1 million visitors.
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