From March 7 to 10, The Japan Management Association (JMA) held “FOODEX JAPAN 2023” at the Tokyo Big Sight. 2,500 companies from 60 countries and regions across the globe hosted 3,130 booths to exhibit their latest food and beverage products.

Themed exhibits were held throughout the venue, including the International Exhibit Zone with pavilions from around the world, Frozen Food Zone presenting frozen food technology, Organic & Wellness Zone featuring health, beauty, gluten-free, and vegan products, and National Food Expo, which showcased specialty foods and beverages from all corners of Japan.

In the New Products Plaza, each country exhibited products that were launched for the first time in Japan, as well as new products that are planned to be released within the six months surrounding the show. In addition, a zone featuring alternative foods, for which demand is rising due to the recent focus on SDGs, showcased alternative seafood and edible insects, which have been recently commercialized.
At the FOODEX TECH exhibition in East Hall 7, the latest technologies for solving social issues were presented, including the industry’s first sea bream raised solely on insects and plastic bags that can be completely decomposed into water and carbon dioxide.
In addition to exhibitions, lectures by leading experts in various industries were held daily on the FOODEX Stage.

From February 28 to March 3 at the Tokyo Big Sight, Nikkei, Inc. held the Nikkei Messe: Town and Store Development Exhibition, a gathering of various technologies, products, and systems that support future town and store development throughout Japan.

The event consisted of seven concurrent exhibitions: JAPAN SHOP, Building & Construction Materials Fair, Lighting Fair, IFFT Tokyo International Furniture Fair, RetailTech JAPAN, SECURITY SHOW, and Franchise Show (Franchise Show was held for three days starting on March 1).

This was the first appearance of IFFT Tokyo International Furniture Fair, which showcased furniture and interior products from Japan and abroad. In addition to a collection of high-end furniture manufactured in Japan’s leading production areas and internationally, the fair offered high-quality space design with a focus on contract furniture (custom-made), furniture for homes, and commercial products for hotels, restaurants, and other public facilities, as well as fabrics, tableware, and other related products.

Furthermore, Nikkei Messe Online, a virtual exhibition, was held on NIKKEI NEON, an original online exhibition platform developed by Nikkei.

With a simple and easy to understand intuitive design, exhibitors can post a variety of information, such as product descriptions, videos, and pamphlets, as well as participate in various communication features such as exchanging business cards with visitors, online chats, and live streaming of seminars. Nikkei Messe Online ran through March 10.

On March 13, the Japan Exhibition Association (JEA) revised its “Guidelines for Prevention of the Spread of Infection at Exhibitions”.

This was the 7^th revision to date.

The JEA announced that the wearing of masks shall be left to the discretion of the individual, and hand washing and hand sanitizing will continue to be encouraged.

Specific regulations (relaxations) are as follows:

• Wearing of Masks: The wearing of masks by visitors shall be left to their own discretion. (However, visitors may be requested to wear masks depending on infection status or other factors.)
• In relation to the above, the same applies to mask-wearing at food tastings as well as lounges that serve food and beverage.
• The provision of masks by organizers for exhibition staff will no longer be required, taking into account that masks can now be easily obtained.
• While creating layouts to prevent congestion will still be required, the 2-story structure and 4-meter height regulations will be removed. (However, it is still recommended that these regulations remain in place during construction for safety reasons.)
• Checking Temperatures: This can still be used as a measure to prevent those with symptoms from entering venues, and using signage or other means to encourage those with symptoms to refrain from coming to the venue is also permitted.

The requirement for “all visitors to wear masks at all times (non-woven cloth masks recommended) during the entire event,” which was a continuous measure agreed upon by organizers, venue management, and exhibition support companies, has been removed.

Nevertheless, several regulations aimed at visitors, exhibitors, and vendors alike still remain. These include refraining from speaking in a loud voice, even during business negotiations, explanations, and demonstrations, as well as maintaining a distance of at least a 1-meter while eating or smoking, avoiding facing others, providing seating arrangements with fewer chairs, limiting room capacities, and staggering employee break times.

Within the guidelines the JEA states, “In a world where coexistence with Covid-19 will likely be inevitable for some time to come, it is necessary to keep the economy in motion while minimizing the risk of infection.”

The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) has begun accepting applications for participating companies for a new project in conjunction with Japan Mobility Show 2023, which will take place from October 26 to November 5 at the Tokyo Big Sight.

This new project, “Startup Future Factory,” is a program aimed at discovering and fostering startup companies that are expected to play key roles in the mobility industry’s future. The project will consist of 2 areas: Business Pitch & Award, which will present and review business ideas; and Startup Street, which will showcase products and services through booth exhibits.

Business Pitch & Award is a pitch event in which private companies are invited to submit new business proposals, and the most promising ideas will be selected. The pitches are assessed based on how well they align with the event’s 3 themes:

1. LIFE x Mobility: The Future of Living, “A future in which each individual’s daily life will be more comfortable and fulfilling”
2. EXCITEMENT x Mobility: The Future of Feeling, “Further evolution of entertainment, sports, and tourism experiences; a future that will create new feelings and culture”
3. INFRASTRUCTURE x Mobility: The Future of Social Infrastructure, “A future in which all possibilities are protected, supported, and maintained so that everyone can continue to live as themselves”

Companies that meet the conditions set by the organizer will be eligible to enter. Applications will be open from June 30 to July 29, 2023, and a review of submitted documents will be conducted from July 30 to August 31. Next, the online interview process will occur from September 1 to 29, and selected companies will be announced on September 29. Qualifying rounds will take place between October 2 and 11 at the NewsPicks Studios and UNIDGE office in Tokyo, during which participants will be narrowed down from 60 to 15 companies. The final round will be held on either November 3 or 4 on a special stage at Japan Mobility Show 2023. The winner of the grand prix will receive a monetary award, and their pitch will be broadcast on NewsPicks at a later date.

Startup Street will be exhibited as part of Japan Mobility Show 2023, and private companies that already possess their own product or service and are able to exhibit in-person at the venue will be allowed to participate. There will be 5 open time slots from A to E, each with a 2-day exhibition period. A – October 27 to 28; B – October 29 to 30; C – October 31 to November 1; D – November 2 to 3; E – November 4 to 5. Each slot is open for 20 companies. There is no fee to exhibit. The application period is open from June 30 to July 29, and participating companies will be announced on September 29. Selection will be based on how well companies align with the aforementioned themes of Japan Mobility Show 2023 and their competitive capability.

More details can be found on the Japan Mobility Show official homepage:
https://www.japan-mobility-show.com/en/

The Japan Marine Industry Association held Japan International Boat Show 2023 from March 23 to 26 at Pacifico Yokohama and Yokohama Bayside Marina. Online exhibits and a hands-on experience at Hakkeijima Marina were also held.

This year’s theme was “Overflowing with Smiles, Forever in this sea…” In addition to 230 companies and organizations from Japan and abroad exhibiting approximately 230 boats, cruisers, and personal watercraft, a wide range of products and services that add color to marine life, such as premium cars and apparel, were also showcased. Pacifico Yokohama exhibition sites covered several themes, including the Jet Village, for personal watercraft and related products, the Fishing Village, which introduced items and equipment for boat fishing, and the Sailing Village, which provided information on various schools and hosted small yacht exhibits. On Saturday and Sunday, there were interactive programs for families and children. The Used Boat Fair 2023 showcased used boats, yachts, and personal watercrafts from Japan Used Boat Association companies.

At Yokohama Bayside Marina, approximately 60 boats and sailing cruisers of at least 30 feet in length were moored for exhibition. Marine goods were also sold at the area around the pier. Other attractions included the Marina Picnic Cruise, which allowed visitors to take a boat cruise around Yokohama Bayside Marina, as well as a program that offered novices the opportunity to experience boating even without a license, a sailing cruiser experience, a sailing course on a larger boat for license holders, and many other hands-on events.

In addition to a free shuttle bus between Pacifico Yokohama and Yokohama Bayside Marina, a shuttle boat, the Yokohama Bay Cruise, was also available. Cruise guests enjoyed the scenery of Yokohama Port, Yokohama Bay Bridge, and Negishi Bay.

American computer game industry organization Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and event management company ReedPop have discussed their decision to cancel E3 2023, the world’s largest computer game expo, which was to be held from June 13 to 16, 2023, in Los Angeles.

The event was planned to include a hybrid of in-person and online content, but both aspects were canceled. Previously, it had been reported that major hardware manufacturers and publishers such as Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox had chosen not to participate this year.

In recent years, there has been a trend of game publishers releasing game information on their own platforms, and the Covid-19 pandemic has only added fuel to the fire. The Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association (CESA) in Japan announced in a press conference that Tokyo Game Show 2023 will run from September 21 to 24 at the Makuhari Messe.

From July 12 to 15, MF Tokyo 2023, a comprehensive exhibition for the metal forming industry, was held in-person for the first time in 4 years at the Tokyo Big Sight. The event was comprised of 3 specialized areas: Press Machines, Sheet Metal Machines, and Forming Machines.

The exhibition hall was full of massive metal pressing and forming machines displaying their applications. Rhythmic pressing sounds were accompanied by the occasional cacophony of clangs from aluminum and scrap metal conveyors. Crowds formed around live demonstrations of metal bending and laser cutting.

Santoku Corporation offers solutions for industrial fastening technology. At their booth, the company was exhibiting their rivets and other hardware. Ryohei Suzuki of the fastener department granted visitors the opportunity to test out drilling rivets into a metal sheet to demonstrate the competitive speed of their products.

Conic Co., Ltd. showcased their punching tools and metal strippers. Tool Sales Representative Suraj Fernando, originally from Sri Lanka, explained how these machines can be used to customize and bend metal for a variety of manufacturing applications, including corners on smartphones. Each punch has its own QR code which can be scanned to immediately obtain a plethora of data on the tool and its function. Punching tools are expendable and must be replaced regularly, so Conic’s sales department has implemented same-day delivery for their customers. Orders for punches received in the morning are manufactured and can arrive at factories by the evening.

Authentec Co., Ltd. produces machines used in metal manufacturing, such as those for deburring, cleaning, and sheet leveling. Since the company was unable to exhibit previously due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Sales Engineer Kazunori Manada was excited to connect directly with customers this year in order to better understand their needs and demonstrate the appeal of Authentec’s latest products.

Shieh Yih Machinery Industry Co., Ltd. (SEYI), a regular at MF Tokyo, exhibited with an emphasis on their thermal motor this year. SEYI Sales Manager Yen Huang detailed the benefits of thermal motors over electrical motors, explaining how thermal power is more eco-friendly and energy efficient. She also showcased their motor’s pendulum motion, which has advantages in production speed and adjustability.

MF Tokyo is expected to continue meeting in-person in the future.

Osaka Metro Co., Ltd. plans to introduce facial recognition ticket gates at all Osaka Metro stations by the end of 2024 in preparation for the 2025 Japan World Exposition in Osaka, Kansai.

The ticket gates will be developed by Takamisawa Cybernetics (President: Kazuo Takamisawa) and Panasonic Connect (CEO: Yasu Higuchi).

Users can register their face in advance through Osaka Metro’s eMetro app and link their metro ticket to their personal information in order to smoothly pass through ticket gates without needing credit cards or other payment methods.

In addition, a QR code-based digital ticket service as well as Visa touch payment are currently undergoing experimentation and are planned to be launched starting in 2024.

As a result, while the Expo is being held, transportation IC cards, QR code-based digital tickets, Visa touch payment, and facial recognition ticket gates combined are expected to be able to answer to the various needs of visitors from all over Japan and the world.