From June 8 to 11, the International Tokyo Toy Show 2023 was held at the Tokyo Big Sight.
June 8 and 9 were industry professional trade fair days, also known as Buyers’ Days, and the 10th and 11th were open to the public.
16,896 visitors attended during Buyers’ Days and 51,701 during public days.
156 companies from both Japan and abroad exhibited approximately 35,000 toys.
The event was held in conjunction with game and hobby festival CoroCoro Soul Festival for the first time.
On March 30, 2023, the 12th Interpets Fair for Better Living for People and Pets, which is Japan’s largest pet industry exhibition, was held in the Tokyo Big Sight’s East Hall. The event was organized by the Japan Pet Food Association, the Japan Pet Products Manufacturers Association, and Messe Frankfurt Japan.
Over 600 companies exhibited at the venue, which was expanded by one hall from the previous year. Both the exhibition space and the number of exhibitors were the largest in the event’s history. The first day was a negotiation day for businesses, so the public was not allowed to enter. However, on the second day, the Big Sight was crowded with many visitors and their pets.
Various programs were held on the stage set up inside the hall, such as lectures on useful knowledge for living with pets and a contest to showcase the skills of pet trimmers. There was also an originally-drawn photo spot in collaboration with famous manga artist, Mamekichi Mameko.
In addition, Japan’s largest dog shows, the JKC Sakura Annual Show 2023 and the Royal Canin Cup 2023, organized by the Japan Kennel Club, were held in East Halls 5 and 6.
From May 24 to 26, the Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan, Inc. held the Automotive Engineering Exposition 2023 YOKOHAMA at Pacifico Yokohama, as well as the ONLINE STAGE1 from May 17 to June 7.
The Automotive Engineering Exposition is a specialized automotive technology exhibition. In addition to Yokohama, it was also held from July 5 to 7 at Aichi Sky Expo in Nagoya.
The Yokohama and Nagoya shared theme was, “Let’s combine our intellect! Carbon neutral, a recycling-oriented society, and beyond!” At a press conference held on May 8, Kazuya Yamamoto, Secretary of the Exhibition Planning Council of the Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan, Inc., stated, “In order to achieve carbon neutrality, it is necessary to shift from a linear process of resource discovery, manufacturing, and disposal to a recycling-oriented society. Neither carbon neutrality nor a recycling-oriented society can be achieved by a single corporation. This cannot be accomplished unless the value chain advances as a whole, transcending the boundaries of companies and industries. The purpose of this exhibition is to throw these sorts of issues out there to be considered by society as a whole, so I hope the participants will take our message to heart.”
The Yokohama exhibition’s individual theme was, “For the realization of a recycling-oriented society, the parts (resources) must also be sustainable!” Yamamoto explained, “An automotive consists of more than 10,000 parts. We are planning a joint project to exhibit the technology to recycle those parts and renewable resources derived from biomass that can be substituted for plastic.”
Continuing on, Masashi Yukawa, Deputy Director of the Secretariat, gave an overview of the event. This year’s Yokohama exhibition, to be held in-person for the 30th time, featured 499 companies exhibiting in 1,115 booths, with a target of 40,000 visitors. 16 companies will be exhibiting for the first time. In addition, 13 world premieres and 21 products on display for the first time in Japan were presented. The first in-person conference to be held in 4 years featured 83 sessions in an online hybrid format.
On August 26, 2023, at Asakusabashi Hulic Hall in Taito Prefecture, Tokyo, JTB Communication Design (JCD) will hold Streamer Jam TOKYO (SJam), an in-person event targeted at streamers and their fans which received rave reviews at its first event last year.
2023’s Streamer Jam will be centered around 3 genres: fighting game stream community, chatting stream community, and creative stream community. On the main stage, competitive gaming with VIP guest streamers with also be featured. Booth space will available for selling art and holding workshops, and streamers who wish to do chatting streams during the event can use the free lounge at the venue.
SJam 2023 will have an official broadcast focusing on the main stage that can be viewed on Esports Port’s official Twitch.tv and YouTube channels. In addition, as part of the collaboration campaign, a 17LIVE ranking battle will be held featuring popular top 17LIVE streamers. The ranking battle winner will receive a main stage appearance and the right to appear as a guest on the Nippon Cultural Broadcasting radio program, “Voice Actor Grand Prix, The Radio.”
In addition, JCD’s Zero CO2 MICE initiative will be implemented at SJam 2023.
Prior to the park’s public opening on June 16, footage of the magical world’s shopping district, Diagon Alley, was released during the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – Making of Harry Potter.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo had its grand opening on June 16. The first of its kind in Tokyo, the new studio tour takes visitors behind the scenes of the films’ production as they step onto the sets of the popular Hogwarts Great Hall, Diagon Alley, and the Forbidden Forest, where they will encounter costumes, props, and magical creatures.
In addition, visitors can enjoy a variety of activities, such as broomstick riding, drinking butter beer, and even becoming a moving portrait in the Hogwarts Grand Staircase.
Studio Tour Tokyo houses the world’s largest Harry Potter store, with over 7,000 custom-made items and 14 themed sections that are decorated with specially sourced props.
Featuring HoneyDukes, Ollivanders Wand Shop, and Flourish and Blotts Bookseller, the shopping street is designed to incorporate elements of Diagon Alley stores and will feature a number of products developed specifically for Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo.
Furthermore, at restaurants and cafes, visitors can enjoy traditional English cuisine, such as fish and chips, roast beef, English breakfast, and afternoon tea.
The attraction is the largest indoor Harry Potter facility in the world and the first of its kind to open in Asia.
Port Messe Nagoya MICE Consortium held a Catering Showcase on May 24 at Port Messe Nagoya, which the organization manages. This event consisted of an exhibition as well as business meetings, in which 11 companies were brought together to showcase their catering services, food trucks, and boxed lunch options.
Since the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions and the resumption of events with food and beverages, many organizers and event planners have requested the venue to connect them with catering companies. The Catering Showcase was inspired by this recent trend.
The venue was staged to resemble an actual reception, with each company promoting products and offering tastings at their booths.
At the start of the event, Director Hiroshi Aiya gave an address. He promoted the new Exhibition Hall 1 and the Convention Center, which both reopened last October, and explained that Port Messe Nagoya will celebrate its 50th anniversary this coming November. “This event is also being held as part of the 50th anniversary, and other plans are currently being considered. We are creating a 50th anniversary commemorative logo, and we hope that everyone will use it,” stated Aiya.
Visitors also gathered in the lobby and outdoor terrace, where booths offering a party atmosphere were being run by 130 exhibitors from 50 companies, including venue patrons, travel agents, and organizers of exhibitions, conferences, and other events. Exhibitors commented, “We were able to spread the word that we can undertake large-scale parties.” The event was very well received.
On May 17, the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) announced the number of inbound visitors to Japan in April 2023.
<Announcement Summary>
Inbound visitors from South Korea exceeded 467,000 (82.4% compared to April 2019), despite entering the travel off-season. This was due in part to the relaxation of border restrictions on the Japanese side and also the recovery of local flights to various regions in Japan.
The number of direct flights from Korea is increasing compared to the previous year’s data, including between Fukuoka and Incheon.
Visitors from China entering Japan in April only reached 108,300 (14.9% compared to April 2019). The continuation of border restrictions for entrance into Japan from China, along with restrictions on exiting and reentering China, as well as the Chinese Labor Day holiday season all had effects on inbound travel.
*The Ministry of Culture and Tourism in China continues to impose a ban on the sale of products intended for travel to Japan.
**Chinese citizens were required to present negative Covid-19 test results in order to reenter China. (As of April 29, this has been replaced by a voluntary antigen test.)
***Sample Covid-19 tests were conducted for those entering Japan on direct flights. (No longer effective as of April 29)
Inbound visitors from the U.S. exceeded 183,900 (108.0% compared to April 2019). This was due to the relaxation of Japanese border restrictions, increased demand for travel to Japan during cherry blossom season, and the Easter vacation, despite restrictions after reentrance to the U.S.
*U.S. citizens were recommended to get a Covid-19 test within 3 to 5 days after returning from Japan.
From May 24 to 26, the 2023 NEW Environmental Exposition & 2023 Global Warming Prevention Exhibition was held at the Tokyo Big Sight’s East Halls 1~5 and outdoor demonstration site.
585 companies were exhibiting. (1,884 booths total – NEW EE: 492 companies, 1,763 booths; GWPE: 93 companies, 121 booths)
The theme of the NEW Environmental Exposition was “Development of Environmental Businesses,” and the Global Warming Prevention Exhibition’s concept was “CO2 Reduction and Promotion of Renewable Energy and Energy Saving Businesses”.
The NEW Environmental Exposition showcased the latest technologies for efficient resource recycling, including AI sorting robots, optical sorting machines, and gravity sorting machines, as well as a system to support digitalization for waste collection, transportation, and management.
In Japan, the Plastic Waste Recycling Law came into effect last year, and local governments and companies have begun to take action. The most recent technology and equipment for material recycling and chemical recycling, as well as machinery for highly efficient heat recovery were all on display.
At the Global Warming Prevention Exhibition, companies exhibited products to protect against heat waves and renewable energy and energy saving machinery that helps contribute to decarbonization and SDGs.
In the energy saving sector, attention was drawn to personal air conditioners, heat shields, improved combustion efficiency, and overall facility energy reduction through promotion of Zero Energy Buildings (ZEBs). In the renewable energy sector, small-scale hydroelectric power generation, binary power generation, biomass fuel, and geothermal heat usage were the most popular exhibitions.
Various environmental technologies and services were displayed simultaneously, and active business negotiations and information gathering also took place.
There were 90,604 attendees in total over the 3 days.
The next event will be held from May 22 to 24, 2024, at the Tokyo Big Sight.
NEW Environmental Exposition Area Classifications:
Recycling / Waste Treatment / Demolition Area
NEW Environmental Exposition Venture Corner
Related Organizations / Academic Institutions Area
Water Treatment / Purification Area
Thermal / Garbage Power Generation / Heat Utilization Area
Asbestos Countermeasures Corner
Environment Software / Scale / Measurement / Analysis Area
Soil / Air / Working Environment Improvement / Infectious Disease Control Area
Collection / Transportation / Delivery / Storage / Logistics Area
Local Government Area
Marine Plastic / Waste Plastic Countermeasures Corner
Civil Engineering / Construction / Disaster Management Corner
Bioplastic / Packaging / Eco Products Area
Biomass / Organic Waste Treatment Area
Outdoor Demonstration Site
Global Warming Prevention Exhibition Area Classifications:
Global Warming Prevention Area
Global Warming Prevention Exhibition Venture Corner
Heat Wave Countermeasures Corner
Power Saving / Energy Saving Measures Area
Renewable Energy / Alternative Energy Promotion Area
Outdoor Demonstration Site
Organized by the Japan Hobby Association, the 47th Japan Hobby Show was held for 3 days from April 27 to 29, 2023, at the Tokyo Big Sight.
This year’s theme was “Yet to be Discovered Handmade”. Approximately 230 artists and companies exhibited in 350 booths, and an estimated 60,000 visitors were in attendance. The 16th Hobby Cooking Fair was held simultaneously.
At the ARENA area, exhibitors showcased DIY kits and art materials, as well as offering interactive experiences and workshops at their booths. Also implemented was the “5 Senses Museum,” a hands-on museum that explored the possibilities of materials and tools from a variety of perspectives, allowing visitors to experience a new level of handmade craftsmanship.
In addition, there was a collaboration with the Sanrio character Cinnamoroll, and a photo spot was set up for visitors to take a picture with their “Fave”. Visitors also enjoyed the materials and tools recommended for fandom activities, as well as a space for communicating that handmade items are indispensable to fan support.
The Tokyu Land Corporation has announced that their new landmark facility in Shibuya will be named “Shibuya Sakura Stage”. The complex is part of the company’s Shibuya Station Sakuragaoka Exit Area Type 1 Urban Redevelopment Project, which is being promoted by the Sakuragaoka Exit Urban Redevelopment Association.
Construction of the facility is expected to be completed on November 30, 2023, and the facility will open to the public at a later date, with a grand opening event scheduled for the summer of 2024, after the majority of the stores have opened.
The facility will be a large-scale complex that combines “Work, Play, and Living,” including offices that can be occupied flexibly by companies of various sizes, commercial facilities that create and spread information on cutting-edge trends and culture, and residential facilities.
In addition, short-term rental apartments for businesspersons travelling from abroad, a childcare support center, international medical facilities, and amenities for supporting business start-ups will also be installed.
Adjacent to Shibuya Station, a multi-layered pedestrian network will be developed attaching the station and the surrounding area, in order to restore connections within the area and enhance functions and mechanisms to respond to globalization, thereby welcoming a diverse range of people. The project aims to create a lively atmosphere and a “Town that is fun to walk around”.
