It was the first press day of the 35th Tokyo Motor Show (for cars & motorcycles). Usually I go down there by car, but I took a JR Keiyo line train to Kaihin Makuhari station from Tokyo station. Because sometimes on my way back I met heavy congestions on the express highway to Tokyo. There is a long way to the Exhibition Hall after I got off at Makuhari station. It took about thirty minutes to arrive at the press center office inside the hall. Many reporters sat at the front of computers ( about thirty sets) and was busy for sending drafts to their editors. I put all my staffs including many brochures from exhibitors into a free locker, and took a cup of coffee. Then I went down to the exhibition floor. The straight wide corridor was built crossing the center of three divided exhibition halls. This makes visitors easier to move around. Then I noticed no music, no sound from speakers. It was rather quiet inside the halls. As I arranged with an analyst from New York to meet him at the Toyota booth at noon, I went to see Toyota exhibitions at first. A sporty 4wd (a reference exhibition) was conspicuous among their exhibits for its muscular and sporty look.

As Toyota is scheduled to enter F-1 racing from the next year, they exhibited an advanced test model as shown in the bottom.

Meanwhile Toyota can supply the specially tuned engines for racing carts if customers want to have them. The right picture is an example of such carts. Cart racing is very popular in the U.S.A.

Toyota exhibited a van which has a strong front look of trucks but has only a big empty box room at rear. If you put furnitures and business machines, you can use it as a movable office.

I was waiting an American by wearing a blue cap as identification, he never came up. Later he phoned me he was delayed because it was the first visit to the motor show and he failed to take a right train.

In afternoon, I joined a press briefing of GM. Mr. Suzuki and Mr. Wagoner attracted the attention of press.

The press center's services are almost perfect. The big volume of brochures distributed by manufactures are packed in a cartoon box and send it to the reporters' offices by express mail free of charge. I was rather exhausted as I walked around halls, Soon I came back to my home.

I happened to meet Mr. Utaka Katayama at the show. As he was born in 1909, his age is 92 years, 15 years older than me. He looked healthy and energetic, When I gripped his hands, they were very warm. He and I were good friends for fifty years.

Two days before, he mailed me a new book titled as ”Z car”（first print of its first edition published by Kobunsha on October 25, 2001 ISBN4-334-03101-3.) On my way to the show, I read it on the train. You will be able to know almost everything about Mr. Katayama with this book. I recommend it to auto people, especially to those who are concerned with auto development and marketing.

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