Tokyo Motor Show; Special Guest Day -- VIPs Tour the Motor Show

    TOKYO--Oct. 27, 2001--The 35th Tokyo Motor Show officially opened its doors at Makuhari Messe, Chiba on October 26, 2001. The Show is organized by the Japan Motor Industrial Federation (Chairman: Hiroshi Okuda). This year's opening ceremony and receptions were canceled due to the impact of the terrorist attack on the United States, but the Show welcomed a large number of special guests on October 26, including the US Ambassador and many leading figures from the political, government and financial worlds.
    When the gates open at 9:00 in the morning, Executive Managing Director Takeo Ishikawa broadcast an opening message on the closed circuit broadcasting system, and during which he explained that the opening ceremony had been canceled as a show of respect to the victims of the terrorist attack and a show of sympathy for the loved ones they left behind.
    Just after 9:00, Australian Ambassador John McCarthy and Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripta arrived at the Show and toured the booths.
    Chiba Governor Akiko Domoto, who was visiting the Motor Show at Makuhari for the first time, complemented Chairman Okuda on the poster design. She was particularly interested in the environment-friendly, low-pollution, fuel cell prototypes on display.
    It was a Special Guest Day unlike any before, but the enthusiasm was still there, as many government and financial leaders eagerly saw for themselves the first Show of the new century.
    In the afternoon, US Ambassador Howard H. Baker Jr. visited. He began his tour with the Harley-Davidson booth in the North Hall, and continued on to the US Government Booth, Theme Hall, and Ford, DaimlerChrysler and GM booths. His excitement and interest were obvious as he listened to explanations and climbed in cars. The Ambassador himself drives a Jaguar and was especially enthusiastic about the Jaguar exhibit. Smiling throughout his visit, when he left at 4:00 in the afternoon, he complemented executive Managing Director Ishikawa on a "great show."