475 Firms to Exhibit at Japan Mobility Show (former Tokyo Motor Show)

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:45 JST, October 5, 2023

Some 475 companies will exhibit products at the Japan Mobility Show — formerly known as the Tokyo Motor Show — to be held from Oct. 26, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association announced Wednesday.

Under its new name, the trade show will include exhibitors from outside the automobile industry, such as electric equipment firms and telecommunications companies, including a conspicuous number of startups.

The number of participating companies for this year’s event far outstrips the 192 that took part in the previous show in 2019. The previous highest figure was 361 in 1995, when car navigation systems were popular, with many firms showing off related technologies and products.

Formerly, the Japan-based event ranked among the world’s leading auto shows, alongside those of Germany and Switzerland, but in recent years, Japan has lost significant ground to China.

A number of major Japanese automakers are planning to introduce prototypes of electric vehicles in an increasingly competitive field. Nissan Motor Corp. intends to unveil an EV with an instrument panel and display that “can be customized according to the owner’s mood,” according to the company’s website.

Chinese EV giant BYD Co. also has indicated its intention to participate.