The 2023 Japan Mobility Show, ongoing until 5 November at the Tokyo Big Sight, is the latest incarnation of the Tokyo Motor Show.

After 46 previous stagings beginning in 1954, and its first-ever cancellation in 2021 due to coronavirus pandemic, the organizers decided to rebrand the event amid a rise in new technological trends such as connected and autonomous vehicles as well as electromobility which are upending the industry.

The event's transformation mirrors the approach of the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany, when the organizer changed the event's name to IAA Mobility in 2021 as it evolved from an automotive to a mobility platform.

In the case of the first-ever Japan Mobility Show, the presentations and displays reflect the growing importance of electrification and software technologies for automakers in the race to remain globally competitive.

"We want to send out a message to the world about the future from Japan," exclaimed Akio Toyoda in September during the event's formal launch. Toyoda is Toyota Motor chairman and head of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, the event organizer.

I wasn't able to attend this year's Tokyo Motor Show, but having been a part of this event numerous times makes it a must for any motoring writer to relay his or her observations on this biennial occasion.

Over the years, the event has suffered from dipping attendance as the Japanese public slowly shifted its interest away from cars.

Attendance peaked at two million in 1991 and fell to 770,000 in 2017. The last Tokyo Motor Show in 2019, attracted 1.3 million visitors but there were only 192 participating companies, down from around 300 in the 1990s.