Tokyo Motor Show sets 2017 dates, vows boost in attendance

TOKYO -- The next Tokyo Motor Show will be held Oct. 27-Nov. 5 in 2017, organizers said today, pledging to boost attendance after a slight dip in turnout last year.

The venue for the show’s 45th confab will be the same as last year’s, the Tokyo Big Sight exhibition center on the capital city’s waterfront. Media days will be Oct. 25-26.

The Tokyo Motor Show’s organizer, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, hopes to stoke interest by hosting another public preview day on Oct. 27 when special ticket purchasers can get early entrance for a sneak peeks at the cars.

The show is held every other year.

Last year’s show benefited from a robust display by Japan’s domestic automakers, of both futuristic concept cars and production vehicles. A rekindled presence of overseas brands also drove interest.

But attendance still dropped to 812,500 people, from 902,800 visitors in 2013. The lower turnout came as organizers aimed to revitalize the show, which was once Asia’s undisputed premier event. JAMA blamed the downturn on bad weather, which kept people home.

The call for exhibitors runs from Oct. 3, 2016, to Jan. 13, 2017, JAMA said.

Hiroto Saikawa, JAMA chairman and also vice chairman of Nissan Motor Co., said organizers would give updates on the show’s preparations by next May.

“We want visitors to be more satisfied than last year, so we are considering ways to make the show more attractive,” Saikawa said while announcing the dates.