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Japan Camping Car Show
Words and photo Bartek Radzimski
JCCS 2021 Exhibitors total
120
Vehicles shown
300
Visitors total
24,100
Net space total (sqm)
20,000
2021 JCCS in a snapshot Despite an almost two months delay the largest camping car show in Japan, the 2021 Japan Camping Car Show took place at the Makuhari Messe on the outskirts of Tokyo from April 2nd to 4th. The Japanese RV Association (JRVA) reported the shows as a complete success per the number of show visitors and sales achieved by exhibitors
T
he last few weeks of show preparation involved some proverbial nail-biting, however, with the State of Emergency suspension announced for the Tokyo Greater Area on March 21st, the show organizers and exhibitors could breathe a sigh of relief. Held at one of the largest event venues in Japan, the Makuhari Messe, the show figures resembled the previous year show with 120
exhibitors and approximately 300 vehicles laid out on 20,000m². The show which typically spans for 4 days, saw 24,100 visitors over the three-day period with both Saturday and Sunday registering over 9,000 each day. Although the numbers were slightly lower than what is typical, most exhibitors reported high value customers with intent to buy. The manufactures and importers also reported pos-
The 2021 JRVA Board of Directors. Appointed in Feb. 2021, the board will serve a 2-year term.
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itive results post-show despite the fact that most recreational vehicles in Japan currently have a lead-time of nearly a year, sometimes longer.Complementing the show, a very positive coverage could be seen by the media for several key reasons. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the media has taken a higher than usual interest in what is still for many a niche and unfamiliar way to enjoy the outdoors. The ability to safely and comfortably address the “3 Cs” recommended by the Japanese government; “Avoiding Closed Spaces, Crowded Places and Close-Contact Settings” and the relevance to the new tele-work trend brought a lot of attention to the event. Another market specific matter was the 10th anniversary of the 3-11 Tohoku Earthquake which occurred in March. As shown in a 2020 survey conducted by JRVA, nearly 70% of new buyers confirmed that one of the reasons for purchasing an RV was as a disaster prevention measure. With Japan being prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes, typhoons and flooding there are many examples where camping cars had been used as
