Tokyo Auto Show
Like the Frankfurt and Paris shows, the Tokyo Motor Show occurs every other year. As you might expect, the Tokyo auto show is the coming-out party of all the latest from the Japanese Big Three: Honda, Nissan and Toyota. But as the Chinese auto industry has grown over the last decade, the Tokyo Motor Show is quickly gaining even more relevance as an important international auto show.
One of the Tokyo auto show's most unique elements is its abundance of concept cars. From mild soon-to-be-production models to outrageously designed one-off contraptions, Tokyo's auto show floor is often crammed with so many concepts that it's hard to appreciate the intricate details of every vehicle. Technology often plays a central role in these concepts, so you'll often see the first hints of the latest new gadget being shown in a car on the Tokyo show floor. Recent auto shows have also focused on high-technology drivetrains, with hybrid and fuel-cell vehicles getting most of the attention.
Started in 1954 when it was known as the All Japan Motor Show, the Tokyo Motor Show has its roots in commercial vehicles. The early auto shows were dominated by trucks, with passenger cars representing less than 10 percent of the vehicles on display. Over the years, the rise of the Japanese passenger car industry, both in its home market and especially abroad, made the Tokyo auto show a must-attend event for anyone interested in the latest new cars, trucks and even buses. Today, the Tokyo auto show is beginning to share some of the limelight with the Shanghai Motor Show, but it's still regarded as the preeminent auto show in all of Asia.
