Business
Trade fairs in Japan
見本市みほんいちmihon'ichiWhere Japanese industry shows itself: the main fairs and venues
Japan hosts a dense calendar of trade fairs, most of them in the Tokyo area at Tokyo Big Sight and Makuhari Messe. Leading recurring events include CEATEC for electronics and IT, the Japan Mobility Show, FOODEX JAPAN for food and drink, JIMTOF for machine tools, iREX for robotics and SEMICON Japan; for foreign firms they are an efficient way to meet distributors and test demand.
Trade fairs in Japan are primarily business-to-business events. Japanese companies use them to present new products, meet customers and scout suppliers, and many buyers visit specifically to gather information before starting the long process of internal approval. Exhibitors that return year after year signal commitment to the market.
For foreign companies, a fair can replace dozens of individual visits: distributors, trading houses and end users from across Japan come to one place. National pavilions organised by chambers of commerce and trade promotion agencies lower the cost and effort of a first appearance.
Venues
Tokyo Big Sight on the waterfront at Ariake, with its landmark inverted-pyramid conference tower, is Japan's largest exhibition centre and hosts the majority of major fairs. Makuhari Messe in Chiba, east of Tokyo and near Narita Airport, is the second major venue. Pacifico Yokohama specialises in congresses and technical exhibitions.
Outside the capital region, INTEX Osaka serves the Kansai area, Port Messe Nagoya and Aichi Sky Expo next to Chubu Centrair Airport serve the industrial Chūkyō region, and Marine Messe Fukuoka serves Kyushu. Osaka hosted the World Expo on the artificial island of Yumeshima from April to October 2025.
Tokyo International Exhibition Center at Ariake, Japan's largest venue.
Exhibition centre in Chiba's Makuhari new town.
Convention and exhibition centre at Minato Mirai.
Technology, electronics and IT
Japan's technology fairs are among the most important in Asia for components, equipment and industrial IT.
CEATEC
Digital technology and electronics, held each autumn at Makuhari Messe; the successor to Japan's older electronics shows.
SEMICON Japan
Semiconductor equipment and materials, held each December at Tokyo Big Sight.
Japan IT Week
Group of IT and digital transformation fairs by RX Japan, held in spring and autumn.
nano tech
Nanotechnology and advanced materials, held in winter at Tokyo Big Sight.
Tokyo Game Show
Video games, held each September at Makuhari Messe with business and public days.
Machinery, robotics and mobility
Fairs for manufacturing technology reflect Japan's strength in machine tools and automation. Several alternate years, so companies plan their participation in a two-year rhythm.
JIMTOF
Japan International Machine Tool Fair, one of the world's largest machine tool fairs; held in autumn of even-numbered years at Tokyo Big Sight.
iREX
International Robot Exhibition, held at the end of odd-numbered years at Tokyo Big Sight.
Japan Mobility Show
Successor to the Tokyo Motor Show, renamed in 2023; held in autumn at Tokyo Big Sight, with the full edition in odd-numbered years.
Automotive Engineering Exposition
Engineering fair of the Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan, held in Yokohama and Nagoya.
Smart Energy Week
Hydrogen, batteries, solar and wind power; RX Japan events in Tokyo and other cities.
Food, consumer goods and health
Consumer-oriented fairs are central for exporters of food, drink, design and lifestyle products, sectors where the EU–Japan agreement has cut tariffs.
FOODEX JAPAN
International food and beverage exhibition, one of the largest in Asia, held each March in the Tokyo area with many national pavilions.
Tokyo International Gift Show
Consumer goods, gifts and design, held twice a year in winter and early autumn.
Interior Lifestyle Tokyo
Interior design and lifestyle products, organised by Messe Frankfurt Japan.
BioJapan
Biotechnology partnering event, held each autumn in Yokohama.
Hoteres Japan
Hotel, restaurant and catering equipment, held in winter.
Exhibiting successfully
Japanese visitors expect Japanese-language materials, staff who can explain products in Japanese, and plenty of business cards. Many buyers collect information at the stand and follow up weeks later; a structured follow-up in Japanese is essential. Samples and demonstrations carry more weight than brochures.
National pavilions, such as those organised with the support of the German trade fair programme or by other countries' trade promotion agencies, provide shared infrastructure, interpreters and visibility. Chambers of commerce in Japan and JETRO can arrange business matching meetings during the fair. Stand space at major events should be booked many months in advance.
Bring many bilingual cards to every fair.
How fairs fit into a Japan strategy.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most important trade fairs in Japan?
Among the most important are CEATEC, the Japan Mobility Show, JIMTOF, iREX, SEMICON Japan and FOODEX JAPAN, alongside the many specialist fairs of RX Japan.
Where are trade fairs held in Japan?
Mostly at Tokyo Big Sight and Makuhari Messe in the Tokyo area; other venues include Pacifico Yokohama, INTEX Osaka, Port Messe Nagoya and Aichi Sky Expo.
Are Japanese trade fairs open to the public?
Most are trade-only or have separate business days. Some, such as the Japan Mobility Show and Tokyo Game Show, have public days.
How can a foreign company exhibit in Japan?
Directly through the organiser or as part of a national pavilion organised by trade promotion agencies or chambers of commerce, which reduces cost and effort.
Related
Sources
- 1.Tokyo Big Sight (Tokyo International Exhibition Center) (opens in a new tab) — Tokyo Big Sight Inc.
- 2.Makuhari Messe (opens in a new tab) — Makuhari Messe Inc.
- 3.AUMA – Trade fair database (opens in a new tab) — AUMA – Association of the German Trade Fair Industry
- 4.Invest Japan (opens in a new tab) — JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization)