New Japanese Cycle Show With A Lifestyle Focus

TOKYO, Japan - A new bike exhibition, to be launched October 31 this year in the historic city of Yokohama, Japan, aims to provide Japanese consumers with a variety of bicycle lifestyle propositions. Style@Bike Yokohama 2009 will take place at Pacifico Yokohama during the port's 150th anniversary and will be fully integrated into the celebrations.

The show is organized by Cycle Press, which was responsible for the long-running but now defunct Tokyo International Cycle Show. That event was overtaken by the consumer-focused Cycle Mode show, organized by a powerful Japanese media group.  Running for three days, the new show will present specific bicycle lifestyle ideas to the consumer, opening up new market possibilities in an event "geared to creating a new bicycle culture."

The show venue is Pacifico Yokohoma (Yokohama International Peace Conference Center), known for holding a wide variety of events including fashion shows, international conferences and concerts. A range of sports bikes will on show, including the light sports types that are increasingly popular in urban areas, as well as trendy and functional bikewear, parts and accessories.

The show aims to expand the number of consumers that enjoy cycling as an integral part of their lifestyle. The organizers insist that "the preconceived ideas of the past must be replaced with new values and standards. What is needed is innovation in distribution and retail style to meet the needs of customers one by one." 

Local bicycle dealers will be cooperating during the show. The redbrick warehouse district will be the location for casual rides and testing of the latest models. A variety of events are planned including guest interviews, fashion shows and seminars. With wide appeal, the show will play a vital role in raising the consciousness of consumers about cycling infrastructure and the central importance of the bicycle as an indispensable tool capable of cutting carbon emissions in urban traffic, as well as helping reduce medical expenses in the future, an important issue in Japan.