The inaugural Tokyo Motor Show was held in Hibiya Park in April 1954 as All Japan Motor Show. It featured 267 vehicles, most of which were trucks, buses and motorcycles. There were only 17 passenger cars on display, including the Hillman Minx, Austin A40, Toyota Toyopet Super RH, Prince Sedan AISH, Datsun Passenger Delux, and the newly introduced Renault 4CV. The show drew over 540,000 attendees over 10 days.
The Tokyo Motor Show was originally held every year, but the organizers decided not to host a show in 1974 due to the international energy crisis. Since then, the show has been a biennial event (although it briefly returned to the annual format from 2001 to 2005). The event lasts for 10 days but is only open to the general public for a week. The first two days are press days and the third day is preview day.
As of 2017, the Tokyo Motor Show is held at the Tokyo International Exhibition Center, also known as Tokyo Big Sight. It is the largest convention and exhibition center in Japan with more than 100,000 square meters of total space. The main organizer of the show is the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA).
The Tokyo Motor Show exhibits cars, motorcycles, and commercial vehicles. It is noted for displaying more concept cars than production cars. It offers a rich and diverse program of events that includes test-drive/ride programs, the Tokyo Motor Show Symposium for industry professionals, guided tours, sponsor events, special exhibitions and competitions, and more.
Each edition of the Tokyo Motor Show has a new theme that highlights a certain aspect of the automotive industry. Past themes have included Beyond the Motor, Your Heart Will Race, Compete! And Shape a New Future, Mobility Can Change the World, and more.
