Tokyo Motor Show is back on track for 2023

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, several local and international motor shows have been canceled. Social distancing guidelines simply wouldn’t allow for a large gathering on the scale of your traditional trade show. 

In the last TMS, we saw many hybrid models showcased by brands from around the world. The Honda Fit was among the most notable there along with a bevy of other showcase pieces from Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Toyota, and Nissan. The Ariya made its concept debut in TMS 2019, as well as several other quirky models. 

The Tokyo Motor Show was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic—a first in the show’s 67-year history. However, there is a sliver of hope to return to normalcy. The show is looking to pull through by 2023. Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) chairman and Toyota president Akio Toyoda confirmed that the show will take place two years from 2021. 

The overall theme of the show, according to Toyoda will be “Green and Digital.” With the influx of electrified mobility in the market, it’s no surprise that the theme of the show will focus on emission-reducing transport. Many manufacturers, even outside of Japan, have already made plans for the impending electric revolution. Toyota themselves have announced that the company will become carbon neutral in the future. More battery-powered and even hydrogen-powered models will come out of the woodwork in the near future. 

Last year, only the Bangkok Motorshow was able to push through even amidst the pandemic. Due to health and safety concerns, the TMS was canceled for its 2020 run. We expect that the 2023 outing of the Japanese auto show will still retain a few health and safety checks before allowing entry to participants and spectators. Hopefully, the COVID-19 situation in the world would be less dire than it is and was when the lockdowns first started. 

Regardless, we’re excited for a return to normalcy in the automotive industry, and tradeshows are one of the biggest events that should not be missed.