Business events in Tokyo: what is worth attending in 2026–27

Tokyo's trade show season runs almost all year, but the densest stretch is February to June 2027. October to December 2026 is dominated by manufacturing and technology shows, and July to September is quiet. Every event in the table below is at Tokyo Big Sight.

For every listing, including smaller shows, see the live Tokyo calendar.

Pick by supply chain. Tokyo's shows are large and specialised, and most are split into several sub-expos under one badge.

Manufacturing, machinery and electronics

JIMTOF 2026, the 33rd Japan International Machine Tool Fair, runs 26–31 October 2026. It is biennial, organised by the Japan Machine Tool Builders' Association and Tokyo Big Sight, and fills 92,850 square metres with metal cutting and forming machines, tooling, measuring instruments and CAD/CAM. East Halls 4 to 6 are closed for renovation during the 2026 show. NEPCON JAPAN 2027 (17–19 February) is RX Japan's electronics R&D and manufacturing show, with eight sub-shows from PCBs to power devices, and it runs alongside AUTOMOTIVE WORLD 2027, which covers EVs, autonomous driving and software-defined vehicles. Manufacturing World Tokyo 2027 (16–18 June) groups 12 shows on design, components, additive manufacturing, factory DX and maintenance; RX Japan expects 2,000 exhibitors and 70,000 visitors.

Semiconductors and advanced materials

SEMICON Japan 2026 (9–11 December) is SEMI's show for the chip supply chain, from front-end fabrication to packaging and test, with summits on advanced packaging and chiplets, design, and metrology. Entry to the exhibition is free. nano tech 2026 (16–18 December) puts nanotechnology startups and university labs in front of materials and R&D buyers.

Food, hospitality and packaging

FOODEX JAPAN 2027 (9–12 March) is the Japan Management Association's food and drink sourcing show; the organiser describes more than 3,000 exhibitors from 100 countries. HCJ2027 (16–19 March) covers hotels, restaurants and catering equipment. FOOMA JAPAN 2027 (8–11 June) is the 50th edition of the food machinery show, which had a record 1,056 exhibitors in 2026. JAPAN PACK 2027 (6–8 October) covers packaging machinery and materials.

IT, AI and startups

Japan IT Week Spring 2027 (7–9 April) is the largest of four yearly editions; RX Japan plans 1,200 exhibitors and 60,000 visitors, and one free registration covers its DX, marketing and e-commerce weeks. NexTech Week TOKYO (21–23 April) covers AI, quantum computing, blockchain and humanoid robots. SusHi Tech Tokyo 2027 (20–22 May) is the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's startup event; its 2026 report lists 798 startups and 60,779 participants.

Energy, healthcare and pharma

Smart Energy Week Spring 2027 (24–26 March) spans hydrogen, solar, batteries, wind and CCUS. Japan Energy Summit & Exhibition (26–28 May) is dmg events' policy and LNG-focused summit. On the health side, Medtec Japan and CPHI Japan share 21–23 April, MEDICAL JAPAN TOKYO runs 26–28 May, and INTERPHEX Week Tokyo closes the season on 30 June–2 July.

Retail, consumer goods and content

RETAILTECH JAPAN, JAPAN SHOP and SECURITY SHOW run together on 2–5 March as Nikkei Messe. The 103rd Tokyo International Gift Show (24–26 February) is Japan's largest lifestyle and gift show, and FaW TOKYO (7–9 April) is RX Japan's fashion sourcing show. COSME Week TOKYO (17–19 February) covers cosmetics from ingredients and OEM to finished brands, and CONTENT TOKYO (23–25 June) covers licensing and content production.

Nearly all of them are at Tokyo Big Sight (3-11-1 Ariake, Koto-ku), which describes itself as Japan's largest international exhibition centre: 16 exhibition halls, 115,420 square metres of exhibition space and about 300 events a year. It sits on the Tokyo Bay waterfront, south-east of central Tokyo.

Large RX Japan shows often occupy several hall groups at once. Check the floor map on the show's website before the day: walking from the far end of the East Halls to the South Halls takes time.

Two train lines serve the venue. According to Tokyo Big Sight's access page, the Yurikamome stops at Tokyo Big Sight Station, about a 3-minute walk away and about 23 minutes from Shimbashi. The Rinkai Line stops at Kokusai-Tenjijo, about a 7-minute walk away and 14 minutes from Osaki or 5 minutes from Shinkiba.

• From Haneda Airport: a limousine bus takes about 25 minutes.
• From Narita Airport: the limousine bus takes about 80 minutes; check the current timetable.
• Hotels: Ariake, Odaiba and Toyosu are closest. Shimbashi, Shiodome and Ginza are good bases on the Yurikamome line. Book early for the largest shows, which bring tens of thousands of visitors to the same area.

Japanese business etiquette applies on the show floor: bring plenty of business cards, as exchanging them is routine, and dress in business attire. Many exhibitors have English-speaking staff at international shows, but signage and seminars are often Japanese-first.

Most Tokyo trade shows are free for business visitors who pre-register online. The exceptions charge a modest fee, and almost all bar under-18s unless accompanied.

• JIMTOF 2026: JPY 1,000 for an advance ticket on the official site, JPY 3,000 during the show. Exhibitor invitations and students with ID are free.
• RX Japan shows (NEPCON, AUTOMOTIVE WORLD, Japan IT Week, Manufacturing World, CONTENT TOKYO and others): free with advance registration; one badge covers the concurrent sub-shows.
• SEMICON Japan 2026: entry to the exhibition is free with registration.
• Japan Energy Summit: the Strategic Summit requires delegate registration, and some sessions are invitation-only.

Three habits help: register before you fly so the badge is ready, book meetings through the show's business-matching system where one exists (nano tech and CPHI Japan both run one), and pair shows that share dates, such as Medtec Japan with CPHI Japan on 21–23 April 2027.