The (TMS) is a biennial auto show held in October–November at the Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo, Japan for cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles. Hosted by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), it is a recognized international show by the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles, and normally sees more concept cars than actual production car introductions which is the reason why the auto press see the show as one of the motorshow's big five (along with Detroit, Geneva, Frankfurt and Paris).
For the first time in its 67-year history, the Tokyo Motor Show was cancelled for 2021 due to rising cases of COVID-19. Starting in 2023, the event will be renamed the .
History
The show, originally called All Japan Motor Show was first held in an outdoor venue called Hibiya Park, the show was considered a success with 547,000 visitors over ten days and 254 exhibitors displaying 267 vehicles, but of the 267, only 17 of them were passenger cars as the show was dominated by commercial vehicles. In 1958, due to construction of a subway and underground parking lot near Hibiya Park, the show was shifted to the Korakuen Bicycle Racing Track. The show changed venues again in 1959 as the previous year was marred by heavy rain. It moved to an indoor facility, the newly opened Harumi Showplace which was three times the size of its previous venue. The 1962 show attracted more than 1 million visitors to view 410 vehicles from 284 exhibitors.
Starting in 1973, the organisers decided to suspend the 1974 show due to the international energy crisis and the show became a biennial event. The show relocated to the convention and exhibition center Makuhari Messe in 1989, then its current venue Tokyo Big Sight in 2011. Due to high public demand for vehicles in everyday use and the fact that concept cars dominate the show, the show returned to being an annual event from 2001 to 2005 with a show for passenger cars and motorcycle in odd-numbered years and smaller shows for commercial vehicles in 2002 and 2004. However, from 2007 onwards the event has once again returned to a biennial schedule which combines both passenger and commercial vehicles, including motorcycles and auto parts.
After several consecutive events with declining attendance, the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show recorded almost double the attendance of the 2017 event, which was attributed to expanding the scope beyond automobiles. The 2021 event was cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, The planned 2023 event will include other automobile-related industries and has been rebranded to the Japan Mobility Show.
By year
1950s
1954
The first Tokyo Motor Show was held in Hibiya Park from April 20 to April 29, 1954. Of the 267 vehicles on display, only seventeen were passenger cars, which reflected the paucity of personal family transport in Japan at the time. Trucks, buses, and motorcycles made up most of the exhibits. Approximately 547,000 visitors attended the show over the ten days, where the most prominent cars were the Austin A40, Hillman Minx and the newly introduced Renault 4CV, as well as domestic vehicles such as the Prince Sedan AISH, Toyota Toyopet Super RH; Datsun Passenger Delux (Model DB-5), Ohta Sedan and Van, and three-wheeled vehicles from Daihatsu.
1955
The second Tokyo Motor Show was held over twelve days, from May 7 to May 18, 1955. Almost 785,000 visitors attended, among them HIH Prince Akihito. The highlights of the passenger cars on display were the new Datsun 110, Toyopet Crown RS and Toyopet Master RR.
The Second All-Japan Motor Show was held in 1955 at Hibiya Park, the same venue as the previous year. The show was extended to 12 days. Exhibitors still focused on commercial vehicles, such as trucks, that year. Notably, in the light-duty truck category, advanced models were displayed, including Toyota's 4-wheel light truck SKB (1,000cc engine) which will be renamed as Toyoace in 1956, Nissan's Datsun 120 Truck and Fuji Seimitsu's 1.5-ton class 4-wheel truck. These models featured both excellent driving performance and handling stability that well outperform conventional 3-wheel light trucks.
New passenger cars also were presented on the motor show's stages. Toyota unveiled its 1.5-liter engine class small cars such as Toyopet Crown and Toyopet Master, while Nissan's Datsun 110 (860cc engine) also made its debut. These cars were signs of the start of the motorization of Japanese society with made-in-Japan brands. Meanwhile, the Imperial Prince visited the motor show for the first time.