TOKYO — Glitzy girl J-pop groups, esports tournaments, drone racing, drifting demos and even a cross-dressing celebrity endorsement. Japan seeks to thwart the downward spiral of global auto shows by making its own flagship event, well, less of an auto show.
Indeed, this month's Tokyo Motor Show is being pitched as a kind of automotive Disneyland.
"We want to provide a theme park for the entire family," said Akio Toyoda, the Toyota Motor Corp. president who also is chairman of the show's organizer, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association. "This festival should broaden the scope."