NPC Seal of Registration
Esquire has been granted the NPC Seal of Registration in recognition of the successful registration of its DPO and DPS
TOKYO—The Japan Mobility Show 2025 has kicked off at this city’s Big Sight, the events and exhibition space that deserves its name. Journalists from all over the world have flown in to walk the halls of the venue to experience a taste of the future of mobility. Organizers say over 500 companies and organizations are participating at this year’s edition of the biannual event, transcending the boundaries of the automotive industry to include communications, IT, and electronics.
Century lineup
All of the biggest Japanese car brands and many international carmakers are exhibiting at JMS, including Toyota and its units Lexus and Daihatsu, as well as brand like Honda, Mitsubishi, BYD, BMW, Mini, and even commercial carmakers and trucks and mtorocycle brands like Fuso and Yamaha.
It will take days to cover everything, so we’re focusing on exciting announcements from the world’s biggest automotive brand, Toyota, and its subsidiaries Lexus, and Century (yes, the upscale Toyota model has been spun off into its own car brand. Details below).
ALSO READ
The Return of an Icon: What You Can Expect from the Next-Gen Toyota Tamaraw
Electrified Luxury: Driving the Lexus UX 300e
Toyota, which has reported selling well over six million vehicles from January to July 2025, unveiled a new campaign, “To You Toyota.”
New Corolla concept
“We have long worked hard to make "Mobility for All" a reality,” said Koji Sato, president and CEO of Toyota. “But while standing on the front lines of manufacturing, there was always something that felt a little off. That something was...we often say "for all," but in truth, there isn't a single product that perfectly suits everyone in the same way.
“What we think when we're making something is, ‘We want to help someone. We want to make someone smile.’ We always picture the face of a certain singular ‘you’ and keep that face in mind as we make things,” Sato added.
In essence, Toyota described the campaign as part of a broader strategy highlighting that “mobility will come to you” — meaning that Toyota intends to deliver mobility solutions tailored to individuals (“you”), not just generic vehicle production.
Land Cruiser FJ
The new campaign segued into new concepts introduced at the show, including a brand-new Corolla, the brand’s bestselling model, which is being positioned as possibly the next-generation (13th generation).
“Wanting to drive a car that looks cool…I think that many of us share such a desire,” Sato said. “Whether it's a battery EV, plug-in hybrid, hybrid, or internal combustion engine vehicle?whatever the power source?let's make good-looking cars that everyone will want to drive! This car is packed with inventions aimed at making that a reality.”
With images of rural Africa flashing onscreen, Sato then unveiled the new IMV Origin, a prototype of a workhorse vehicle specifically built for people living in hard-to-reach areas where sometimes there are no roads.
IMV Origin concept
Sato said the vehicle will ship from production plants unfinished and it will be up to the end user to determine how best to complete the unit based on their specific needs.
“Customers would define the vehicle on their own terms, even after it's assembled,” Sato said. “Will it carry people or cargo? Will the cargo be boxes or something else?”
Hiace concept
Toyota also presented its new Land Cruiser FJ, which it describes as a new member of the Land Cruiser family, joining the 70-Series, 250-Series and 300-Series. The model name “FJ” is also intended to evoke the heritage of the Land Cruiser (specifically referencing the early “BJ” model and FJ-series history) and to emphasize “Freedom & Joy,” which Toyota used in the launch.
New Toyota Rav4
With Century becoming its own ultra-luxury brand, where does that leave Lexus, which previously carried the mantle of the Toyota Group’s “luxury” unit?
Flagship LS Concept
According to Simon Humphries, chief branding officer of Lexus, the brand “now has the freedom to strengthen its promise to customers at the heart of the luxury marketplace. And that promise is to DISCOVER. To think independently confidently to be adventurous and innovative all with the explicit goal of helping our customers discover a new luxury lifestyle."
Lexus coupe concept
The new direction is reflected in the all-new LS, which now stands for Luxury Space (instead of luxury sedan). What looks like the offspring of the old LS and the LM, the new six-wheeled LS is the new flagship model of Lexus. Humphries even referred to the “losing battle with SUVs” in the brand’s pivot to give consumers more of what they want.
The new Lexus flagship, the LS Concept
“When that door opens, you are teleported to a home away from home,” he said. “Your own private space a space to truly discover sanctuary.
LS Micro Concept
“Space is freedom and space is privacy," he added. “Two commodities that are simply priceless. In a frenetic world, what greater luxury is there than that?”
Lexus also unveiled a new Sport Concept as well as a new Coupe Concept. But what really turned heads during the presentation was the LS Micro Concept, a personal carrier for one built to mimic the confines of a solitary sanctuary amidst the concrete wilds of the urban jungle.
“What if we took the essence of the private space we created in the LS Concept and put that into an autonomous one-person format,” Humphries said. “Seamlessly connecting business and pleasure mobility and infrastructure on land.”
Lexus Sport Concept
Lexus also presented mobility concepts for water and air, including a luxury catamaran as well as a manned drone developed in partnership with Joby.
“Luxury is leadership and the leading edge of luxury is forever evolving,” Humphries said. “At Lexus we believe that everyone is their own brand. We pride ourselves on being eye to eye with our customers. And we want to help them see the world through new eyes. To discover limitless new horizons yet still feel at home.”
Finally, Toyota made official what it has been teasing for weeks: its Century model is now a standalone entity positioned above Lexus. No less than Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda himself appeared before journalists at the presentation to make the announcement, invoking the spirit of his ancestors who founded the company nearly a century ago.
Despite being the newest brand in the Toyota portfolio, Century actually first debuted decades ago, in 1967. It has since been reintroduced at least twice in newer generations and has always been made available only in Japan (with a few exceptions).
In his speech, Toyoda said the decision to make the Century was driven mostly to show the world what Japan was capable of doing. “That is why Nakamura worked together with Shoichiro, the son of Kiichiro, and set out to make a car underpinned by Japanese tradition and skills, which they could proudly show on the world stage, a car that could contribute to world peace and cultural exchange,” he said. “The pride of Japan. I believe the Century was created to fulfill that role.”
Century is now its own brand
During a briefing, officials said Century will go head-to-head with ultra luxury brands like Rolls-Royce and Bentley. A new coupe was unveiled during the Century presentation, as well as an SUV that was first unveiled in 2023.
“’One of One,’ or as Nakamura put it, ‘To be like no other,’ Toyoda said. “Century is not just another brand within Toyota Motor Corporation. We want to cultivate it as a brand that brings the spirit of Japan, the pride of Japan, out into the world.”
Century
Century interior
“The next Century begins with us,” he concluded.
