ENG TOKYO MOTOR SHOW BLOG

Hello, I am Yoshizawa from the Tokyo Motor Show office.

We the Tokyo Motor Show office staff, are now working at Makuhari Messe, where the motor show will be held, preparing for the motor show.

Today, I would like to introduce an unusual topic:

The Tokyo Motor Show is running on the JR Yamanote Line! That doesn't make any sense, does it? Actually, train cars with bodies decorated for the Tokyo Motor Show are running on the Yamanote Line from Sunday, October 14 to Sunday, November 11 as part of the 40th Tokyo Motor Show 2007 ad campaign. It might be your lucky day if you get on the Tokyo Motor Show train on your way to your office or school.

(There are two such trains.)

Continuing from the last blog entry, I would like to introduce test-ride events where visitors are welcome to actually ride cars and other vehicles at the Tokyo Motor Show. Firstly, I would like to look at the 3rd “Clean Energy Vehicles Test Ride” . Hybrid, fuel-cell, hydrogen-fueled, electric, and other clean energy vehicles will be available for test-rides. This year, there will be thirteen vehicles in total, including two buses, from eight manufacturers.

The last test ride event is the“ Commercial Vehicleｓ Test Ride” . Nine trucks, trailers, buses, and vans from eight manufacturers will be available.

As in the last blog entry, I interviewed staff at the Special Events Office, which runs the test ride and test-drive events.

Hello, everyone!

Cars you can test-ride at the Clean Energy Vehicles Test ride event are manufacturers' next-generation cars. This event presents a very rare opportunity for the general public to test-ride these next-generation cars. Even if you search around the world, these opportunities are rare. This test ride event is unique to the Tokyo Motor Show, a show full of experience-based events where visitor participation is welcomed.

Equipped with next-generation engines, these cars provide running stability equal to or better than time-proven gasoline-fueled cars. You will be impressed by the efforts, and technology of the manufacturers.

(Experience next-generation technology. Photo from the 39th Tokyo Motor Show 2005.)

Experience the next-generation vehicles that will enter the market in the future. At the entrance of the event area, panels will describe hydrogen-powered and fuel-cell vehicles, and exhibition booths will show videos. Come and see them.

Today, global warming and other environment issues are becoming immediate issues for us. In this event, cars will showcase new technologies made possible by manufacturers' hard work and innovation for solving environment problems.

See for yourself how these cars differ from ordinary gasoline-fueled cars. Take advantage of this opportunity and test-ride these clean energy vehicles to experience their impressive new technologies.

The next event I would like to introduce is the Commercial Vehicles Test ride event, where you can test-ride trucks, buses, and other commercial vehicles that you often see on the streets. Seeing them so often, you may think they are very ordinary. Still, people rarely have the opportunity to actually sit in the front seat of a truck, closely watching the driver operating the truck. That makes this another rare opportunity. It is particularly worth sitting in the front seat of a truck, experiencing a view much higher than that in passenger cars.

(Trucks provide a much higher view than passenger cars. Photographed at the 38th Tokyo Motor Show 2004.)

As in the “Clean Energy Vehicles Test ride”, biofuel and fuel-cell buses will be available for test-rides. Like ordinary passenger cars, these larger vehicles are also becoming environment-friendly. See them in the “Commercial Vehicle and Clean Energy Vehicles Test Ride”.

In the “Commercial Vehicles Test Ride”, available vehicles will be different between the first and second half of the Tokyo Motor Show period. Please make sure which vehicles are available before participating in the event. Please note that children five years old or younger are only allowed to ride in buses. Your understanding is appreciated.

Trucks and buses on the streets may look different after you test-ride these commercial vehicles. Look around the Outdoor Vehicle Bodies Exhibition Space (open until Tuesday, October 30) at the North Hall after test-riding commercial vehicles and you will be even more interested in the commercial vehicles displayed there.

I would like to thank the staff from our Special Events Office for this explanation. I am sure these test-ride events will offer us valuable experiences. As I wrote in the last blog entry, a test-drive/ride ticket is required to participate in any of these test-ride/drive events held at the Tokyo Motor Show. Make sure to get your ticket at the ticket distribution corner at the west side of the South Rest Zone starting one hour before each test-drive/ride session.

There is one more thing I would like to tell you about in this blog entry. The Life Style Park will be held in the West Rest Zone from Thursday, November 1 to Sunday November 11.
The Life Style Park is an event space where many kinds of events, where you will like automobiles and other vehicles even more, will be held.

Among many events, the “Trial Demonstration” and “Double Dutch” events are a must to see. They are performed twice a day during the Life Style Park period. In the “Trial Demonstration”, two riders, Naoki Kobayashi and Motoharu Honda, show their techniques, going on the stage and jumping their bikes. Their movements are so synchronized that it is hard to believe they are riding on bikes. There will be a talk show, as well as the demonstration.

(Great technique. Photo taken at the 39th Tokyo Motor Show 2005.)

The “Double Dutch” event is a dance and jump rope performance by three double Dutch teams: “CAPLIORE” “ASGRM” and “Viva Onna!!” There will be a collaborative performance of dancing and jump roping together with a traffic safety quiz.

Many more events will be held at the Life Style Park, including a wrecker truck demonstration by the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF), showing wrecker trucks hoisting and towing cars in trouble, and a performance by the Chiba Prefectural Police band.

As I mentioned before, a symposium, "Car users meeting with JAMA Chairman Cho," will be held from 14:00 on Thursday, November 8 at the International Conference Room on the 2nd floor of the Makuhari Messe International Conference Hall. The symposium will be broadcast live at the Life Style Park.

During the above-mentioned period, the Life Style Park will be jammed with many events from 10:00 a.m. (9:30 on Saturdays and Sundays) until closing time. A truck called “The Smile” will assess your aptitude for driving, and you can see the Chiba Prefectural Police corner, where police cars and motorbikes are displayed. Police uniforms for children will be available to borrow too. Be sure to visit the Life Style Park.

The 40th Tokyo Motor Show 2007 will open soon. If you don't have your ticket, the Cellular Phone Ticket is convenient. People have been taking advantage of this convenience since Wednesday, October 10. You can reserve tickets with your cell phone, which will serve as a ticket, enabling entry to the Tokyo Motor Show. Why don't you try this new way of buying tickets?

(With the above QR code, you can conveniently access the site from your cell phone.)

Hello, I am Yoshizawa from the Tokyo Motor Show office.

Allow me to start this blog entry with an advertisement:
Japanese Motor Vehicles Guidebook 2007-2008 Vol. 54 will be on sale from Wednesday, October 24 for 1,200 yen. This is the only guidebook that covers all Japanese vehicles, showing approximately 1,000 cars in full color with the specs for each car. This year's feature article is "Car Festival Travelogue," which provides firsthand information about automobile festivals in Japan and abroad, including Goodwood Festival of Speed in the U.K.
You can buy the guidebook at bookstores throughout Japan or mail order from Japan Automobile Manufactures Association (JAMA) Mail Order Center(Tel: +81-3-5802-1851). Be sure and get your copy! You will be glad you did.

(Japanese Motor Vehicles Guidebook 2007-2008 Vol. 54)

As I mentioned in the last blog entry, the 40th Tokyo Motor Show 2007 will present four test-ride and test-drive events where visitors are welcome to actually ride or drive cars. They are the “Safety Experience Test Drive”, “4x4 Adventure Test Ride”, “Clean Energy Vehicles Test Ride”, and “Commercial Vehicles Test Ride” events.

In this and the next blog entries, I would like to look more closely at these events.

Firstly, I would like to introduce the “Safety Experience Test Drive” event.
From the title, Safety Experience Test Drive, some of you may think this is a safe driving lesson. It is actually slightly different.

The Safety Experience Test Drive event aims to improve driver understanding and knowledge of car safety technologies. In the event, drivers actually experience some of the state-of-the-art safety devices installed in cars.

ABS, ESC, and TCS are three major safety devices in cars. ABS (Antilock Brake System) prevents the wheels from slipping when the driver brakes and the wheels lock. ESC (Electronic Stability Control) stabilizes the car, preventing it from skidding. TCS (Traction Control System) prevents wheels from spinning round without grabbing when the car accelerates.

I interviewed staff at the Special Event Office, which runs the test-ride and test-drive events, and the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF), which provides assistance.

Hello, everyone!

ESC, one of the three safety devices you will actually experience in this Safety Test-drive event, is installed in over 70 percent of cars in Germany and approximately 20 percent of cars in the U.S.A.
We expect that car manufacturers will be obliged to install ESC in all their cars in the future. In Japan, however, only 10 percent of cars have ESC. ESC is often offered as an option, and car owners decide whether to install ESC in their cars.
If all cars were equipped with ESC though, approximately 25 percent of current traffic accidents could probably be prevented.

In this event, ESC will be switched on and off to see the difference under the same conditions, actually experiencing how it works.
The Safety Experience Test Drive is the only event at the Tokyo Motor Show 2007 where drivers can drive cars by themselves. Drivers must have had their license for at least one year. Drivers who have had their licenses suspended or received a severer punishment due to accidents resulting from gross negligence or violation of traffic rules within the past year, as well as drivers who have been drinking, are not allowed to participate in this test-drive event.

A very special mat was installed on the temporary driving course made for this test-drive event, enabling realistic simulation safely and in limited space. Water and detergent solution are sprayed on the mat placed on the ground, creating a road that is as slippery as an icy road with freshly-fallen snow. Technically speaking, the slipperiness is approximately 0.2 to 0.3 μ.
This special mat was very difficult to find. Although cars drive quite slowly, strength and durability are required. We spent three months finding an appropriate mat.

(Cars cannot be controlled on the slippery mat.)

This mat enables drivers to experience the extreme situation where the car slips.
The slip can occur even at safe speeds. In addition, drivers can see the difference, switching ESC on and off, under the same conditions. This is a very special opportunity.
This Safety Experience Test Drive event also has other demonstrations, including a seat belt convincer with airbag. You can even participate in these without a test-drive ticket.

Six types of cars, nine cars in total, from six manufacturers will be available in the Safety Test-drive event, where you can have the rare opportunity of experiencing an extreme driving situation. Don't miss this valuable opportunity.

I would like to thank the staff at JAF for helping to make this event possible.

The next event I would like to introduce is the “4x4 Adventure Test Ride” . The staff at the Special Event Office will explain:

As the title suggests, the course of the “4x4 Adventure Test Ride” is very adventurous. The course consists of five sections: V-shaped Mogul where a twisting road is created with logs, Camber with a 30 degree slope, Tabletop/Water Zone where you climb a hill that is approximately 2 meters high and then drive through a pool that is approximately 30 centimeters deep, Slalom, and Climb-hill/Down-hill with a slope of up to 40 degrees.

Standard cars cannot drive in any of these sections. They will get stuck, unable to climb or go down the slopes. The test-ride event is a marvelous opportunity to experience the excellent running stability and road ability of 4x4 vehicles. You will be fascinated by 4x4 vehicles, being surprised by their abilities.

Several types of cars, nineteen cars in total, from seven manufacturers will be available in the “4x4 Adventure Test Ride” event.
Professional drivers are willing to offer information and answer your questions.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask them. When taking a test-ride, check the course information displayed at each section. It might be interesting to see what angle professional drivers take to approach the section, what course they select, and how they accelerate.

I would like to thank the staff from our Special Event Office for this explanation. I am already getting excited!

The “Safety Experience Test Drive” event enables you to safely experience car movement in an extreme situation, and the “4x4 Adventure Test Ride” event enables you to fully enjoy the abilities and fascination of 4x4 vehicles without going to the countryside. They both will be great fun. I am very interested in them and imagine you are too.

In these test-drive and test-ride events, you usually can drive or ride cars from several manufacturers. There are, however, a few days, on which cars from only one manufacturer are available. In the “Safety Experience Test Drive” event, there are two days, November 1 and 2, when only BMWs are available. In the “4x4 Adventure Test Ride” event, the same two days are designated as the DaimlerChrysler Japan (Jeep) days. On these days, instead of comparing cars of different manufacturers, you can take an in-depth look at cars from your favorite manufacturer. Also, there may be special events presented by the manufacturers.

A test-drive/ride ticket is required to participate in these events. Test-drive/ride tickets will be given out at the ticket distribution corner at the west side of the South Rest Zone from one hour before each test-drive/ride session. Make sure to get your ticket, as you cannot take a drive/ride without it. The two test-drive and test-ride events introduced in this blog entry will be held at the Makuhari Seaside Park. Test Ride Shuttle Bus service to the park will be available, making it easy and smooth to get there.

In the next blog entry, I will write about two other test-ride events, the “Clean Energy Vehicles Test Ride” and “Commercial Vehicles Test Ride” events. I will see you then!

Hello, I am Yoshizawa from the Tokyo Motor Show office.

At last, it is cooling down these days, and a nip of autumn is in the air.
How are you doing?

Since we now have under a month before the opening of the Tokyo Motor Show, the atmosphere in the Tokyo Motor Show office is tenser than ever.

I went to see the Moscow Motor Show that was held from August 29 to September 2.
I stayed in Moscow for one week from the end of August. (It would be impossible for me to take a holiday now to go to Moscow.)

(This is the Moscow Motor Show site.)

Did you know that a motor show is held annually in Moscow?

In Russia, the demand for cars is increasing every year. According to the "THE MOTOR INDUSTRY OF JAPAN 2007," 1,864,000 motor vehicles, a 10.3% increase from 2004, were sold in Russia in 2005.
Russia is the third fastest growing automobile market after China and India.
The transportation infrastructure in Moscow, however, is still being developed, and traffic is always very heavy.

In Moscow, we can see many expensive cars and luxury brand stores.
The city looked completely different from a few years ago.
This was my second time in Moscow. I went there seven years ago.
With the Russian economy thriving today, Moscow looks like a European city enjoying the economic boom.

Returning to the subject of the Tokyo Motor Show, the press presentation for the 40th Tokyo Motor Show 2007 was held on September 20.

(Fujio Cho, Chairman of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association,Inc is in the center.)

Over 200 press people attended the presentation!

(The press presentation room was stuffed with press people.)

The presentation really caught the interest of the press. They took notes enthusiastically, and the question and answer session ran over schedule. Chairman Cho expressed his hopes, saying he wants the Tokyo Motor Show to be an automobile culture event, not just a mere automobile exhibition.

I would like to cover some of the interesting topics announced at the press presentation.

The first is the number of world and Japan premieres. These premieres are the main attraction of motor shows. There will be seventy-one world premieres cars and ninety-seven Japan premieres cars at the 40th Tokyo Motor Show 2007.

Some car magazines are already running articles about world premiere cars of some manufacturers. Rumors are also circulating that some world premiere cars are being kept strictly secret until the opening of the Tokyo Motor Show. I am sure you are dying of curiosity whether such cars will be shown at the Tokyo Motor Show or not.

What kind of cars are they? Enjoy letting your imagination run, and see for yourself at the Tokyo Motor Show.

The second is the many experience-based special events where visitor participation is welcomed. Such special events include the “Clean Energy Vehicles Test Ride” and “Commercial Vehicles Test Ride” events. These experience-based events were very popular at the previous shows.

At the Tokyo Motor Show 2007, there will be new test-ride events as well: “4x4 Adventure Test Ride” and “Safety Experience Test Drive” events. At the “4x4 Adventure Test Ride”, participants ride a 4x4 vehicle driven by a professional driver driving on a special outdoor course. At the “Safety Experience Test Drive”, participants drive a car by themselves, checking the safety performance of the car. Driver's licenses are required.

As for further information on these four test-ride and test-drive events, we will let you know later in this blog.

Another special event is the Tokyo Motor Show Symposium 2007.

There will be nine symposiums.
One symposium, titled “ Car user meeting with JAMA Chairman Cho - Let's Talk on the Dreams, Fun and Splendor of Automobiles! - ” looks particularly interesting.
Chairman Cho, Manabu Akaike (President of the Universal Design Institute, Inc.), Makiteru Ishikawa (motor journalist), and Kaori Manabe (talent) will talk together with car users in a talk-show style.

This is the first symposium with Chairman Cho.
The theme is the joy of automobiles. This symposium will be held from 14:00 to 16:00 on Thursday, November 8 at the International Conference Room on the 2nd floor of the Makuhari Messe International Conference Hall.
We expect that the symposium will be crowded with many people.
Please come early!

In addition, there will be a mini theater where two original films, “Cars of the Future, as Seen through ‘Information’” and “The Car Manufacturing Challenge – the Story of the 5th Student Formula SAE Competition of Japan”, will be shown. These films explain Japanese cars' most advanced safety and environmental technologies in an easy-to-understand manner.
There will be also a game corner where you can enjoy the latest version of “Gran Turismo”, a race game, titled “Gran Turismo 5 Prologue”.
This game corner was very popular at the previous show. There will also be a Slot Car Circuit. Slot Car Circuits are becoming popular among trend-conscious automobile enthusiasts. There will be many exciting events.

The “e-tix” Online Ticket System has been newly introduced for the 40th Tokyo Motor Show 2007.
The e-tix system enables buying advance tickets directly from the Tokyo Motor Show official website, which started selling the tickets on Wednesday, August 1. Many people have already bought tickets with the e-tix system.

Advance tickets went on sale through the usual channels on Friday, September 21. Information on the advance tickets was also announced.

Advance tickets can be bought at the ticket counters of major public transportation services, major travel agencies, and convenience stores throughout Japan.
Even if you are not connected to the Internet, you can buy advance tickets at these places. Buy your tickets by Friday, October 26, to take advantage of money-saving advance ticket prices. An advance ticket costs 1,100 yen for adults and 500 yen for Junior/Senior High School Students (tax included).

There was also more surprising information on the Tokyo Motor Show tickets.
From October 10, you can reserve tickets with your cell phone, which will serve as a ticket. Further information will be revealed on the Tokyo Motor Show website soon.

It was also announced that the 40th Tokyo Motor Show 2007 would support the "Reduce 1 kg of CO2 per Person per Day" campaign conducted by the Team -6%. Visitors with the Challenge Declaration Card of the campaign can receive a 5 percent discount on Tokyo Motor Show official goods .
If you don't have the Challenge Declaration Card, you can register and get the card at the Tokyo Motor Show venue. Don't miss this great opportunity to buy official goods at discount prices.

It is only one month until the opening of the 40th Tokyo Motor Show 2007. I will do my best so that you can have a good time at the Tokyo Motor Show, refraining from my favorite hobby, flamenco.

"Ole!"