Tokyo Toy Show 2020

**NOTE:** The 2020 Tokyo Toy Show was cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic.

Info about the 2020 show on display at the end of Tokyo Toy Show 2019.

The **2020 International Tokyo Toy Show** (東京おもちゃショー2020) was a toy industry trade show that was planned by the Japan Toy Association to be held June 11-14 near Tokyo Big Sight at Aomi, Kōtō, Tokyo. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was cancelled and rescheduled for June 17-18, 2021.

## Application period

On October 16, 2019, exhibitors could begin applying for booth space; the deadline closed on November 29 due to the limited amount of space at Aomi in 2020.

Nominations for the 2020 Japan Toy Awards were due on April 10, 2020. However, the deadline was extended due to concerns over COVID-19 and then postponed until the following year.

There is no admission fee to attend the Tokyo Toy Show. However, the first two days would have been limited to industry professionals only by invitation or by completing registration with the Japan Toy Association. Foreign professionals are advised to fill out a visitor registration certificate in advance. The last two days are typically open to the public, and professionals are advised to conclude their business early as the event will get crowded.

## Venue

The event was scheduled to be held for the first time at the newly-completed Aomi Exhibition Halls, which is part of the Tokyo International Exhibition Center (東京国際展示場), also known as Tokyo Big Sight. The venue was moved across the river from the main complex to Aomi due to the scheduling impact of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The Aomi Station is only 1 rail stop away from Tokyo Big Sight Station.

The show previously occupied the larger West Exhibition Halls 1-4 of Tokyo Big Sight. Since December 2016, the convention center complex had been undergoing construction to expand capacity.

The newly-built Aomi Exhibition Halls in 2019.Map from the main Tokyo Big Sight complex to the Aomi Exhibition Halls.Planned layout of exhibitors in Aomi Exhibition Hall A (left) and B (right).
### Effect of the 2020 Olympics

Tokyo Big Sight had planned to house international broadcasters and press media during the during the Olympic Games in Japan. Virtually all of the convention center complex was scheduled to be occupied by Olympics-related activities between May and September 2020, making it unavailable for other events during that time. Makuhari Messe, which had previously hosted the Tokyo Toy Show in the 1990s, was also to be used as an Olympic venue and the Pacifico Yokohama, which hosted the Japan Toy Show in 2003, was already fully booked. Other conventions resorted to cancelling or relocating as far south as Shizuoka. However, due to the worldwide outbreak of COVID-19, the Olympic Games in Japan were postponed until 2021.

### Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic

Many events in Tokyo were postponed or cancelled because of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic, such as AnimeJapan 2020 in March, the 44th Japan Hobby Show in April, and the 98th Comiket in May. The 2020 Shizuoka Hobby Show, originally scheduled from May 16 to 17 was also cancelled. The nomination deadline for the 2020 Japan Toy Awards was also delayed until further notice. On April 20, 2020, the Japan Toy Association announced that the 2020 International Tokyo Toy Show would be cancelled to prevent further spread of the COVID-19 virus.

*See also: Tokyo Toy Show 2003: Effect of the SARS outbreak*
*See also: Tokyo Toy Show 2009: Effect of the H1N1 pandemic*
*Toy Journal's* May 2020 issue featured special coverage about the 2020 toy show, including an emergency phone interview with toy companies about the state of the industry during the crisis. On June 30, *Toy Journal* published *Toy Catalog 2020*, which contained items from companies that had been scheduled to exhibit at the 2020 Tokyo Toy Show. A free catalog containing toys for children with vision or hearing disabilities was released by Japan Toy Association on September 7, 2020. A version in braille was also made available. On November 4, 2020, the Japan Toy Association announced that it was accepting exhibitor applications for the 2021 Tokyo Toy Show, which is scheduled to be held June 17-20, 2021.

*Toy Journal's* May 2020 issue with special coverage of the toy industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.*Toy Catalog 2020* featured items that had been scheduled to be exhibited before the 2020 show was cancelled.*Toy Catalog 2020* for children with vision or hearing disabilities, free from the Japan Toy Association.
## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 2020年の「東京おもちゃショー」はどこで開催！？ (Japanese), ヒットを探そう！流行サイト. 2019-06-24.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 開催中止のお知らせ (Japanese), The Japan Toy Association. 2020-04-20.
3. ↑ 「東京おもちゃショー2020」 の開催中止について (PDF), The Japan Toy Association. Archived 2020-05-13.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 「東京おもちゃショー2021」 (PDF), The Japan Toy Association. 2020-11-04.
5. ↑ 東京おもちゃショー2020 出展のご案内 (Japanese PDF), The Japan Toy Association. 2019-10-16.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 日本おもちゃ大賞2020　募集要項 (Japanese), The Japan Toy Association. 2020-01-21. Updated 2020-04-07.
7. ↑ 商談見本市ご来場の皆様へ, The Japan Toy Association. Archived 2019-09-21.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Exhibitor's Guide - Tokyo Toy Show 2019 (English PDF), The Japan Toy Association. Accessed 2019-01-07.
9. ↑ Aomi Exhibition Hall, Tokyo Big Sight. Archived 2019-01-15.
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Businesses fear big losses with Tokyo Big Sight shutdown for 2020 Olympics by Shusake Murai, *The Japan Times*. 2017-01-18.
11. ↑ Lifting up the Large Roof in the Tokyo Big Sight Expansion Project at Shimizu Corporation. 2018-12-04.
12. ↑ IBC/MPC Tokyo International Exhibition Centre (Tokyo Big Sight), Bureau of Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 Preparation. Accessed 2019-09-24.
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Tokyo Olympics knock hundreds of conventions off track by Hisashi Tsutui, *Nikkei Asian Review*. 2019-03-19.
14. ↑ Tokyo Olympics postponed until 2021 due to coronavirus pandemic by Noriyuki Suzuki, Kyodo News. 2020-03-24.
15. ↑ Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony rescheduled for July 23, 2021 by Associated Press, ESPN. 2020-03-30.
16. ↑ Notice: Cancellation and Postponement of Events in Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo Big Sight Inc. 2020-03-19.
17. ↑ コミックマーケット98の開催中止について (Japanese), Comiket. 2020-03-27.
18. ↑ Shizuoka Hobby Show 2020 Cancelled In Japan by Black Convoy, TFW2005. 2020-02-27.
19. ↑ 5月開催予定の静岡ホビーショー中止　新型肺炎の感染拡大で by 静岡新聞SBS, Yahoo! JAPAN. 2020-02-28.
20. ↑ 月刊トイジャーナル (Japanese), *Toy Journal*. Archived 2020-05-08.
21. ↑ 2020年の最新号 (Japanese), *Toy Journal*. Archived 2020-05-08.
22. ↑ メーカーの重点商品が大集合！ (Japanese), *Toy Journal*. Archived 2020-08-23.
23. ↑ 共遊玩具カタログ·啓発ビデオ (Japanese), The Japan Toy Association. 2020-09-07. Archived 2020-09-27.

## External links

* 東京おもちゃショー2020 official website (Japanese)
	+ International Tokyo Toy Show 2020 Exhibitor's Guide (Japanese PDF, archived 2020-06-21)
* 東京おもちゃショー at Wikipedia (Japanese)