Tokyo Auto Salon 2021 Cancelled
The Tokyo Auto Salon, one of the world’s top shows for modified vehicles, has been canceled. Scheduled to take place January 15-17, 2021, the event was canceled due to concerns over the outbreak of COVID-19.
Held each year at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba City, Japan, the Tokyo Auto Salon is a mecca for tuner cars, primarily Japanese cars, vans, and SUVs, with performance and custom aftermarket parts and accessories.
The Tokyo Auto Salon Association, the organizer for the event, said, “As it is now vital to limit social contact and avoid gathering, we have made the difficult decision. While we know this is disappointing, we hope you can understand the steps we are taking to help keep our staff and participants safe.”
That being said, the Association will hold a Virtual Auto Salon, which will open on January 15th at 9 a.m. Tokyo time as scheduled, with details available shortly on their official website, www.tokyoautosalon.jp.
Enthusiasts from around the world flocked to the Auto Salon for the past 38 years. Unlike the SEMA Show, a trade-only show held each year in Las Vegas in November, the Auto Salon is open to the public, and many of the manufacturers and custom shops sell products that are on display.
The Tokyo Auto Salon features a variety of exhibitors showcasing the latest technology, performance products, and custom parts and accessories. Automotive-related video games, motorsports merchandise, and other products are on display and available for purchase at the Salon. It remains to be seen if there will be sales conducted through or in conjunction with the Virtual Auto Salon, a question that went unanswered at the time this story was written.
Supported by the Nippon Auto Parts Aftermarket Committee (NAPAC), the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, inc. (JAMA), and the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF), the Tokyo Auto Salon will likely weather the storm and make its return once it is safe to travel and the coronavirus has been abated.
[Images: Tokyo Auto Salon Association]
With a father who owned a dealership, I literally grew up in the business. After college, I worked for GM, Nissan and Mazda, writing articles for automotive enthusiast magazines as a side gig. I discovered you could make a living selling ad space at Four Wheeler magazine, before I moved on to selling TV for the National Hot Rod Association. After that, I started Roadhouse, a marketing, advertising and PR firm dedicated to the automotive, outdoor/apparel, and entertainment industries. Through the years, I continued writing, shooting, and editing. It keep things interesting.
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Not surprising , question is will Tokyo Olympics still happen this summer ?
First picture: Would you classify that as a footboard pilot, or a regular old pilot? (One of Babbage's better ideas - surprised it has never been offered on automobiles as an extra-cost option) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilot_(locomotive)