November 7, 2001

The 35th Tokyo Motor Show, the First One of the 21st Century, Was a Success

The Japan Motor Industrial Federation (Chairman: Hiroshi Okuda) closed a successful 35th Tokyo Motor Show (Patron: H.I.H. Prince Tomohito of Mikasa) on Wednesday, November 7. The show was held at the Makuhari Messe (Nippon Convention Center) in Chiba City from October 26 (Fri.) through November 7 (Wed.). This year’s show contended with the cancellation of the opening ceremonies to express JMIF’s sympathy for the victims of the terrorist attacks in the U.S., and intensified security measures such as inspecting visitors’ personal belongings at entrances, but ended smoothly.

This year was the first passenger car and motorcycle show held in the 21st Century, and the theme was “Open the Door! The Automobile’s Bright Future.” Exhibitors were from 13 countries, 273 companies, 6 governments, and 2 organizations, and they presented 709 passenger cars and motorcycles.

The total number of visitors for the show’s 13 days was 1,276,900, down 8 % from the previous 1,386,400 for the 33rd show in 1999. However, taking into account that a national holiday coincided with a Saturday for the show period, and that the global economy has experienced a downturn, the number of visitors could be said to be close to that of the previous show, thereby proving that consumers are still excited about automobiles and the Tokyo Motor Show.

A variety of concept cars and soon-to-be launched vehicles equipped with environmental, safety, and IT technology attracted visitors’ attention. The key words of exhibitors’ booth themes ranged from “fun,” “dreams,” and “unique” to “emotions,” demonstrating the diversity and breadth of the show. Another noticeable feature was that the show’s organizer introduced group exhibits, reflecting the global alliances in the world-leading automotive industries. A great number of visitor responses were, however, “It’s easy to understand and get around.”

The show drew a number of VIPs including Ms. Akiko Domoto, Governor of Chiba Prefecture, Mr. Howard H. Baker, Jr., U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Mr. Keiji Furuya, Senior Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Mr. Shizuo Sato, Senior Vice-Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Mr. Hisahi Kazama, Senior Vice-Minister of the Environment, and other distinguished guests, including several ambassadors and minister-counselors.

1. Special Exhibit at Theme Hall – The “Otomo” Attracted Visitors
The theme of the special exhibit was “Breakthroughs in Automotive Technology – History-making Cars from Japan.” This gave visitors a chance to look back upon the history of the automotive technology revolution in Japan, with a number of old, renowned cars including the “Otomo,” the first automobile developed and manufactured entirely in Japan, being displayed together with informative, educational panels.

2. Symposium “Talk-in 2001” Gathered Many Listeners
The special symposium, “Talk-in 2001,” was held on the evening of October 31 (Wed.) at the Makuhari Prince Hotel located adjacent to the show venue, and attracted 450 listeners. The theme was “Open the door: A smart drive for the new tomorrow – how do the different generations perceive the charm and value of vehicles?” Professor Seiichiro Yonekura of Hitotsubashi University was the keynote speaker, who arrived at the lectern in tune with music he selected himself and talked about “the advancement of IT and its effects on lifestyle,” while machine-gunning questions to the audience. Following his keynote speech, a panel discussion continued on the theme of “different views on future vehicles by generations.” This panel was composed of Assistant Professor Shinji Miyadai of Tokyo Metropolitan University, Mr. Tadashi Tateuchi, automotive journalist, Mr. Tsuyoshi Takahashi, Director of Japan Kids Kart Association, and Ms. Rei Kikukawa, actress, and was coordinated by Ms. Keiko Katsu, TV anchorwoman.

3. Electronic Ticket Tested
The show organizer also conducted a test of an electronic ticket system. Those visitors who wanted to use it first applied for tickets on the Web. Once the remittance for the ticket was confirmed, an entry approval was sent to their i-mode cell phones. When they arrived at the show, they simply passed their cell phone screen displaying their entry approval through a scanner at the gate. The number of users was 1,539, but the show organizer was firmly convinced that the system’s convenience would cause this number to expand in the future.

4. JAMA will become the show organizer from 2002 on.
As already announced, the Japan Motor Industrial Federation (JMIF) will be integrated with the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) in May 2002. The Tokyo Motor Shows to be held from 2002 on will be managed and operated by JAMA. The show calendars for 2002 and 2003 are as follows.

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(For reference)

Data on Tokyo Motor Shows