LNP – Japan Carmakers Cancel 2021 Tokyo Motor Show Due to Pandemic

Bloomberg – This year’s Tokyo Motor Show will be canceled due to the ongoing pandemic, Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association Chairman Akio Toyoda said.

It will be difficult to hold the show, staged every two years in Japan’s capital, while seeking to ensure the safety of participants during the pandemic, Toyoda, who is also president of Toyota Motor Corp., told reporters at a briefing for the industry group.

“The Tokyo Motor show is being canceled, not delayed,” Toyoda said. “It’s difficult to hold the event in a way in which many people will be able to experience the appeal of mobility in a safe and secure environment.”

The last Tokyo Motor Show was in October 2019. The Shanghai Motor Show is being held this week in China.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is considering whether to declare a state of emergency in Tokyo, Osaka and other areas, and ramp up restrictions to contain a surge in coronavirus cases just three months before the start of the delayed Olympics. Although infection numbers in Japan aren’t as high as other developed economies, the country has struggled to keep cases under control as it seeks to contain a surge just three months before the start of the delayed Olympics.

“The Tokyo Motor show collaborates with a number of industries to envision a new future for mobility,” Toyoda added. “It welcomes 1.3 million people in person. We don’t want to hold the event online, we want to hold it in-person. That’s why we’ve chosen to cancel the show this time.”