ENG TOKYO MOTOR SHOW BLOG

Hello, I am Yoshizawa.

Time flies. It is already September. The Tokyo Motor Show will open next month, and we are in a whirl of business, preparing for the show.
During these very busy days, we need something that gives us a few minutes to relax and unwind.

In this blog entry, I would like to introduce a children's car drawing exhibition titled "Shaping Your Dreams by Tomica" held at the 40th Tokyo Motor Show of 2007 with the assistance and support of Tomy Company, Ltd. Just seeing this delightful exhibition will help people to relax.

Since the Tokyo Motor Show site moved to Makuhari Messe in 1989, the children's car drawing exhibition has been held with the motor show, aiming to encourage the participation of local residents in the motor show. Five-year-old children attending kindergartens belonging to the Chiba Municipal Kindergarten Association draw their dream cars and future cars, as if they were car designers.

This year's children's car drawing exhibition is the tenth. Celebrating this, with the assistance of Tomy Company, Ltd., toy manufacturer of the famous Tomica and Choro-Q, we are making actual Tomica models from children's drawings. This is very exciting!

Setting the theme, "Getting Dreams into Shapes – The Car that I Dream of," we asked children to draw their dream cars allowing their imagination to run wild. Children submitted 3,530 drawings, 337 more than the 39th motor show of 2005.
Fair juries selected three drawings, from which Tomy will make Tomica models.

Won't it be wonderful to see a unique Tomica, the only one in the whole world, based on your own drawing?

A sixteen-member jury selected 196 drawings from all the entries at the first screening held in Makuhari Messe on July 23.

(The first screening held in Makuhari Messe)

On August 6, a five-member jury further screened the 196 drawings, selecting three drawings showing the incredible originality and creativity unique to young children.

Since only three drawings will have the honor of being made into actual Tomica , people from Tomy and other jury members were very serious when looking at the drawings. I also had the opportunity of looking at the children's drawings, trying not to disturb the jury.

(Drawings are all interesting and enjoyable to look at.)

About boys' drawings
Boys' drawings are energetic!
Many of them use strong bold lines. Blue and black are used often. The designs of some cars are modeled on insects such as beetles, and some are uniquely designed resembling robots in animated films. We can see children's unconstrained imagination in their drawings.

One jury member said, "Many cars are modeled on fish and insects. Perhaps, boys are very interested in these living creatures." Another juror said, "There aren’t many sports car drawings. When we were children, boys used to draw sports cars." Even from children's drawings, we can see that sports cars are less popular these days.

About girls' drawings
Looking at girls’ drawings, we were impressed by the rich colors. While boys' drawings are filled mainly with blue, green, and black, leaving no blank areas, many girls' drawings ingeniously use multiple colors, such as stripes and gradations. Another characteristic of girls' drawings is their attention to detail. Even the rearview mirrors and door handles are decorated. Many cars drawn by girls have rounded forms, being modeled on fruits and vegetables.

A jury member said, "Girls often draw drivers and passengers in the cars, even including facial expressions and what they wear." Another juror said, "Girls also pay attention to the background. Many drawings show a forest, grass, or other greenery. Does this indicate girls' awareness regarding environmental and ecological issues?"

About drawings of commercial vehicles
Looking at children's drawings of commercial vehicles was very exciting. The many innovatively designed vehicles included a bus with a shovel and a truck shaped like an airship. Such innovative ideas do not come from adults. I really look forward to seeing these vehicles on our streets.

One jury member said, "Didn't you like power shovels when you were a kid? I used to like them, thinking they were cool. These children are feeling the same way."

Another juror said, "More children draw buses than other commercial vehicles. Is this because kindergarten buses are familiar to them? Many drawings pay attention to riding in comfort, such as having meals in the bus."

Finally, the three drawings to be Tomica models were decided. The three drawings are…

The first one selected was a car with a streamlined body, which looks really fast. I really want to drive a car like this. Speed always fascinates men, regardless of their ages. This cool design is… No, I cannot tell you any more yet.

The second one is a fantastic car, like a car in a fairy tale. It is a car, but it looks as if it is floating in the sea. Although I cannot tell you any more, it is very interesting how this drawing will be actualized into a Tomica.

The third, and last, one is a very amusing car. If I have to describe it in one word, I would say, "Ka-boom!" as if something exploded. It is not a bus, nor a working vehicle, but both a bus and a working vehicle. No adult can create this kind of innovative design.

Please applaud these children who won the honor.
Each of their drawings are being made into an actual Tomica. How I envy them!

Finally, I asked a Tomy manager, who is working on the first "Shaping Your Dreams by Tomica" exhibition, for his impressions on the screening of the drawings, as well as a message for readers of this blog.

He said, "Through screening children's drawings, I found that children's ideas reflect our times. When we were children, if we were asked to draw a car, we only drew foreign-made sports cars. Many of the drawings submitted now deal with themes such as nature, friendliness, and ecology. This may be because people are more aware that cars, people, and nature must find a way to coexist.

All of the three drawings that are going to be Tomica models are very unique in their own way. It is now our turn to show our stuff, translating the drawings into actual Tomicas. When you visit the Tokyo Motor Show, it might be interesting to compare the children's original drawings and the Tomicas. We are looking forward to the exhibition and hope you are too."

We would like to thank everyone at Tomy for all of their work on this!

Both the original drawings and the Tomicas will be exhibited at Tomica Choro-Q Corner. You can find the Tomica corner at Kids' Park on the 2nd floor of the North Hall at the 40th Tokyo Motor Show of 2007. Please come and see which drawings were selected!