Car enthusiasts, especially Toyota fans, who have been to Japan would probably have had a chance to visit Megaweb, a huge Toyota showroom in Tokyo. Opened in March 1999, Megaweb is part of a commercial complex known as Palette Town in the Odaiba area that fronts the Tokyo Bay. Although it is described as an amusement theme park, it also has big stores, restaurants, a digital art museum and even a large music space. Almost 127 million people have visited Megaweb to date.
The sad news is that Megaweb will be closing at the end of this year. While the pandemic may have reduced the number of visitors, the reason for closure is said to be related to a move by the owner of Palette Town which wants to redevelop the site as an arena.
‘Look’, ‘Ride’ and ‘Feel’ automobiles
While everyone refers to it as ‘Megaweb’, it is officially the Toyota City Showcase and it offers visitors a chance to ‘Look’, ‘Ride’ and ‘Feel’ automobiles. As a car showroom, the latest Toyota models are on display, with special exhibits related to some of the models. For instance, when the Mirai FCEV was launched, there were displays to provide insights into the hydrogen fuel cell system.
The History Garage
The 2-storey History Garage is the most popular area with many classic models of different makes. There are special themes and lots of historical items as well. Many of the displays are parked in front of vintage facades that give just the right atmosphere.
For the ‘Feel’ part, there is a small outdoor driving course where the public can try some of the latest models. Of course, there is also a shop at Megaweb where the usual souvenirs can be purchased as well as performance parts.
AMLUX Tokyo
Before Megaweb, Toyota also had another huge showroom in another part of Tokyo which was in existence from 1990 to 2013. This was called AMLUX and it was developed and owned by a subsidiary of the carmaker. It was conceived in the days before Japan’s ‘Bubble Economy’ burst so it had a certain extravagance. Toyota noted that a trend began to emerge that found consumers thoroughly examining products on their own before purchasing them. To improve recognition of Toyota vehicles in response to this trend, it began to work on creating non-sale showrooms based on a new concept, and AMLUX was a prime example.
AMLUX was intended as a showcase of Toyota vehicles and technology. It had four floors and each floor had a theme, with special displays of old models in the basement. There was even a small cinema with seats that moved and at times, certain smells were introduced if the scene was one of driving through a countryside! There were also restaurants and AMLUX was one of the first auto sector showrooms in Japan where visitors could also dine (Honda was the first to put a restaurant in a showroom).
With increased use of online channels for shopping, which even the auto industry has shifted to, lavish showrooms may not be justifiable. However, people may still want to see the real machines close up, and certainly experience them as well if possible. For the future generation of car enthusiasts, we certainly hope carmakers like Toyota will continue to provide such facilities.
