The 38th Tokyo Motor Show - Commercial & Barrier-free Vehicles - (2004)
Opens to the General Public on Wednesday, November 3 (public holiday)

JNL-2004-42
September 28, 2004

The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Inc. (JAMA; Chairman: Itaru Koeda) will hold the 38th Tokyo Motor Show - Commercial & Barrier-free Vehicles - (2004) at the Makuhari Messe (Nippon Convention Center) in Makuhari, Chiba for 6 days, from Tuesday, November 2 to Sunday, November 7. The theme is "Vehicles for people. Vehicles as partner."

Press Day will be held on Tuesday, November 2. Special Guest Day and Trade Day will be held on the afternoon of the same day. General Public Days will run from Wednesday, November 3 (national holiday) to Sunday, November 7 (5 days). Hours are from 10:00 to 18:00.

Trade Day is part of efforts to improve services for business people. It brings more of a "trade show" aspect to the Tokyo Motor Show by allowing business people to view the show for free from 12:00 to 18:00 on Tuesday, November 2 (same as the Special Guest Day).

This is the third commercial vehicles show among the Tokyo Motor Shows. In the fall of 1999, the Tokyo Motor Show was split into "Passenger Cars & Motorcycles show" and "Commercial Vehicles show," with each show held on alternate years. The 34th Tokyo Motor Show which was held in the fall of 2000 was the first to specialize in commercial vehicles, commercial vehicle bodies and related parts. This year the show's subtitle was changed to "Commercial & Barrier-free Vehicles" to better reflect the show's content: the latest models and technologies of "working" and "welfare" vehicles that support and enrich people's lives. At the same time, the organizer has tried to better meet the needs of visitors by planning a variety of "audience-participation" and "hands-on" events to make the show appealing to everyone from kids to business people.

113 exhibitors from 6 countries

This year's show will have exhibits from 111 companies, 1 government and 1 organization from 6 countries. It will use Halls 1-8 of the International Exhibition Hall (West, Center, East) at the Makuhari Messe. Total floor space is 24,465 m², roughly on par with the 36th Tokyo Motor Show - Commercial Vehicles - (2002).

35 World Premieres, 17 Japan Premieres

This year's show will have 217 vehicles on display (104 commercial vehicles, 41commercial vehicle bodies, 58 barrier-free vehicles, 14 others), of which 35 are World Premieres and 17 Japan Premieres. The previous commercial vehicles show (the 36th show in 2002) had 224 vehicles on display, including 27 World Premieres and 9 Japan Premieres.
The Parts Division will have 16 World Premieres and 17 Japan Premieres.

Commercial vehicles and barrier-free vehicles displayed together with plenty of "audience-participation, hands-on" events

Below is an outline of the major special events scheduled for the show.

• Commercial and Barrier-Free Vehicles Test-Ride (Test-ride Arena)
  This is always a popular event at the commercial vehicles show. Visitors have the opportunity to ride in a wide range of trucks, buses and barrier-free vehicles. Test-rides will take place on a special 1km test course outside the exhibition halls. Access to and from the course is by shuttle bus.
• Commercial Vehicles & Motorcycles Ride and Experience Zone (Center Hall)
  This zone contains vehicles that you ordinarily never get to touch, let alone get on: pump and ladder trucks, police motorcycles and a variety of four- and two-wheel vehicles that "transport," "build," "protect" and do things that regular passenger cars cannot.
• Barrier-free Vehicles Park (West Hall)
  Barrier-free Vehicles Park offers an opportunity to learn about barrier-free vehicles and how they improve lives. It features test-rides of senior cars and wheelchairs, exhibits and demonstrations of barrier-free vehicles and peripheral equipment, and a talk show on stage.
• Truck Stalls Market (Yasuragi Mall)
  Truck Stalls Market is a new restaurant and shopping zone that uses unique truck stalls. It features kebabs, Ghana curry and a variety of ethnic foods together with a selection of souvenirs and gifts.
• Tokyo Motor Show Symposium 2004 (2F, International Conference Hall)
  Covering a total of 10 highly-relevant topics on the relationship between vehicles and society (environment, safety, logistics, taxation etc.), the symposium is held every day of the General Public Days, providing the automotive industry with an opportunity to actively explain its ideas and programs.
• Festival Stage (South Rest Zone)
  A truck provides a temporary stage for a variety of audience-participation, hands-on entertainment events, including the Traffic Moral Savers "Anzenger" Show, a traffic safety educational attraction that was popular at the 37th Tokyo Motor Show, and exhibits of an earthquake simulator and a patrol car made possible with the cooperation of Chiba Prefecture and the Chiba Prefectural Police.

Improved visitor hospitality

For the first time ever, the Central Passageway that runs through the exhibition halls (West, Center and East Halls) has been widened from 9 meters to 12 meters and lined with benches and greenery so that it serves as a rest space and creates a more visitor-friendly environment. "Priority Seats," which were well-received at the 36th Tokyo Motor Show - Commercial Vehicles - (2002), have been expanded from 390 to 600 seats.

For the first time ever at a commercial vehicles show there will be an "Infant / Child Care Center" on the 2nd floor of the Central Mall to provide babysitting and other family services.
Also, as part of an effort to make the facilities more barrier-free, there is a new elevator that provides direct access from the 2nd floor of the Central Mall to the Center Hall exhibition space (installed in March). Finally, thanks to the cooperation of the Chiba Convention Bureau and International Center, volunteers will be on hand to assist visitors in wheelchairs.

Trade Day

The afternoon of Press Day is set aside as "Trade Day," an opportunity for business people to view the show and talk with exhibitors in a more relaxed and un-crowded environment.