Tokyo Motor Show Takes Different Approaches to Attracting Visitors

Tokyo, Oct. 25 (Jiji Press)--Automakers and the show's organizer have adopted various approaches for this year's Tokyo Motor Show, other than just displaying the newest vehicles and concepts, in the hope of attracting more visitors. The 46th Tokyo Motor Show, open to the public from Friday through Nov. 4 at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center and surrounding facilities in Koto Ward, features an area in which visitors will be able to glimpse what the future may look like. Some 60 companies and organizations plan to showcase their latest technologies at "Future Expo," including telecommunications company Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. <9432> and electronics maker NEC Corp. <6701>. Visitors not only get to see various vehicle concepts, such as Toyota Motor Corp.'s <7203> Mirai fuel cell car, but experience sport using information and communication technology. They can also decorate a vehicle using paint that can be rubbed off, as well as see how electricity stored in Nissan Motor Co.'s <7201> Leaf electric vehicle can be used for purposes other than driving. The area is hosting various e-motorsports events as well. "This time around our booth does not feature a single car to be launched next year," Toyota President Akio Toyoda said at a press conference held a day ahead of the biennial auto industry show's official opening. Instead, the automaker's booth enables visitors to experience a future society of mobility centered on people, with Toyoda saying that his company aims to realize a "human-connected" society where people can experience the warmth and kindness of others. At the leading Japanese automaker's booth, visitors can accumulate points by doing activities as instructed at designated locations, including the Toyota e-Care vehicle, which enables a passenger to talk with a doctor and receive a medical examination while heading to a hospital. The accumulated points can then be exchanged for novelty goods within the booth. The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, the organizer of the event, has teamed up with the operator of KidZania work-experience theme parks to create an area within Tokyo Big Sight in which children are able to learn about different professions. Children can experience car maintenance at a booth in the "Out of Kidzania" area set up by Subaru Corp. <7270>, as well as learn about racing drivers from Honda Motor Co. <7267> and how to design new vehicles from Mitsubishi Motors Corp. <7211>. A 1.5-kilometer track connecting two separate blocks in the convention center, called the "Open Road," allows visitors to try out cutting-edge vehicles, including electric kick scooters and Toyota's i-Road ultracompact electric three-wheeler. Visitors are also able to enjoy a wide variety of food at stalls within the venue, with menu items ranging from pizza, curry and "gyoza" dumplings to shaved ice and ramen noodles. Many stalls also offer dishes unique this year's motor show, such as an extremely spicy fried chicken and steak on rice. JAMA expects some one million visitors, compared with the actual visitor number of 771,200 for the previous motor show in the capital in 2017. For this year's event, the organizer has decided to grant high school students free admission in the hope of boosting interest in cars among a younger generation. At past events, only young people up to junior high school were allowed in for free. END