After a four-year hiatus, the Japanese Mobility Show (formerly known as the Tokyo Motor Show) is back. 

What was once the region’s premier automotive event, JMS, now presents a more inclusive program for motorists and the general public who wish to maximize their mobility. 

Now, more than before, the show veers away from being just about cars as most Japanese carmakers embrace various forms of mobility, from personal to mass and everything in between.

Despite its more inclusive approach to providing a wider variety of transportation solutions, one obvious fact stands out - it is still a beaming calling card for the Japanese automotive industry, which, unfortunately, is on the cusp of the electric disruption. 

The competition is real

At the Shanghai International Auto Show last April, we were treated to a seemingly unending bevy of car brands, local and foreign, that all had electrification as their main draw. What was displayed then were actual production runs of the  EVs in each brand’s lineup. And if there were concept cars, these were mere months away from production. 

In contrast, the Japan Mobility Show is a parade of ideas and plans. It is a spectacle of programs that may or may not come to fruition. A showcase of wish lists that are teetering on getting a go-signal from the brand’s top management or the axe for being too ambitious and expensive to produce.

While the presentations are noble and reassuring, with the brands’ efforts echoing sustainability, carbon neutrality, and a greener future, most are just that - presentations. Perhaps only Toyota is bold enough to announce Battery Electric Vehicles it can make or are already in the advanced state of development. We’re looking at you, FT-Se.

The world through rose-colored lenses

But there are brands whose dreams of a brighter future for mobility are just out of this world. Subaru, for example, is showing off a drone-like vehicle geared for air mobility that we’re not sure will ever see the light of day. 

Mazda’s sexy Iconic SP, touted to be the reincarnation of the rotary sportscar, is still a question mark for the brand. Much like the RX Vision in 2015 and the Vision Coupe in 2017, both of which set the world on fire with their bold designs but were never produced en mass, the Iconic SP could be another showstopper that may never be realized. However, we may see some of its design elements adopted to a current model refresh in the near future. 

The Nissan Hyper Force, while delivering shock and awe with its 1,360 PS all-electric output and exterior design treatment straight out of Gran Turismo’s concept garage, is yet another evolution of the existing (read as dated) GT-R’s lines. Have we not seen enough of this?

Just beside it, Nissan’s Hyper Punk crossover concept looks like it is lifted from the design studio’s sketchpads and made into a 1:1 model, waiting for a focus group of Zennials’ approval. 

What piqued my interest is the Nissan Hyper Tourer with its club-vibe interior lighting, individual seats,  and autonomous driving capabilities. It looks like a ride straight from a utopian future. Something that might happen in five years.

Just across Nissan is the Mitsubishi pavilion displaying its D:X concept. What is said to be the next generation Delica, the show car departs from the usual sportscar and crossover halo model and features something more practical and lifestyle-oriented.

Suppose Mitsubishi’s Xpander and XForce are any indication that its concept cars eventually resemble the actual vehicle. In that case, we might see something close to the D:X coming from the Japanese carmaker.

Speaking of how close the production version is to the show car, there is the Honda Prelude concept, which looks like the final production run already. Either Honda has very talented model makers, or we are seeing the real thing at JMS. And if you don’t fancy the Beluga profile, well, too bad.

The real point of the show

Since “Mobility” is at the heart of the 12-day event, various solutions were also presented by car brands, the rest of the Japanese auto industry, and other private enterprises. 

From an exoskeleton that is supposed to help people lift heavy objects when worn to compact electric cycles, battery-swapping scooters, and electric big bikes to a remote-controlled mech robot a person could hop into, Japan Mobility Show 2023 has it all. 

But unlike the Shanghai International Auto Show, which was also a public selling exercise, JMS 2023 is more about inspiring future generations of car lovers. It is about rekindling the passion for ICE automobiles, especially in a country where a growing number of its youth has been shunning the idea of owning cars and instead opting for network ride-sharing and public transportation for their mobility needs, both of which run efficiently in Japan, by the way.

Despite the ongoing disruption, the Japan Mobility Show hasn’t lost its mystique among homegrown brands and their loyal fans. Just look at the crowds being drawn in by Mazda’s Iconic SP.

Tone-deaf

If the Japanese auto industry is to survive, however, it must continue to innovate and set into motion technologies and innovations no other country has yet seen. This happened years before when Japanese car companies collectively led the global auto industry in delivering features, championing reliability, and endearing the public to their brands. 

JMS 2023 has clearly shown how far behind the Japanese brands are in electrification. While Chinese state-owned brands, foreign carmakers, and private start-ups have filled the immense halls of the Shanghai International Auto Show with EVs complete with functioning self-driving technology that the public can already buy at affordable prices, Japanese carmakers are still unraveling lengthy spreadsheets, counting beans and debating whether to produce the concepts into real production models. 

Meanwhile, China is aggressively going after car markets that Japan once securely held. Moreover, the  Mainland is slowly but surely shutting its doors to Western and Japanese ICE models with state-initiated New Energy initiatives. The reality is that Japanese car brands need to do more and do them faster to help regain their country’s standing as the world’s top car exporter. Or at least rescue a significant share of the world’s largest car market.

The Kawasaki booth’s messaging at JMS 2023, “Let the good times roll,” eerily sums up the numbness of the Japanese car industry to world-changing events. Electrification may not be the catch-all solution to the world’s mobility needs now. Still, it is a wave worth riding if only to remain relevant in a continuously evolving world.