SPECIAL TOPIC

The origins of CEATEC can be traced back to Japan Electronics Show, which began in 1962.
It was held with the aim of showcasing state-of-the art technologies and expanding sales channels. Held in Harumi, Tokyo, the exhibition was made up of four categories: audio equipment such as televisions and radios, radio equipment including electronic application equipment, measuring equipment, and electronic components. The catchphrase for the first event was "Gathering the infinite dreams of electronics".
There were 207 exhibiting companies and approximately 150,000 visitors over the ten-day period.
As a comprehensive exhibition, Japan Electronics Show featured a wide range of exhibits, from parts to finished products, and this characteristic has been passed down to the current CEATEC.
The second exhibition was held in Osaka, thanks to the enthusiastic efforts of the Kansai business community. From then on, the exhibition was held alternately in Tokyo and Osaka every year.
From the third show in 1964, the name was changed to "Japan Electronics Show." In particular, the 25th Japan Electronics Show in 1986 was a great success, with 443,500 visitors, the largest number to date.

Another of the origins of CEATEC is the Data Show, which began in 1972.
This exhibition was aimed at promoting the spread of general-purpose computer peripherals and terminal equipment, and in 1996, there were 208 exhibitors and 268,900 visitors.
In 1997, it was integrated with "Communication TOKYO" and "JPSA Convention" and was reborn as "COM JAPAN", a comprehensive exhibition of information and communications.
Since then, it has continued to make its mark on history as an exhibition that leads the development of the IT industry and the realization of a prosperous society through IT.

In 2000, Japan Electronics Show, a comprehensive electronics exhibition, and COM JAPAN, a comprehensive information and communications exhibition, merged to form CEATEC JAPAN. Both of Japan's two leading exhibitions were places to disseminate information on cutting-edge technologies and products both domestically and internationally, and CEATEC was born as a comprehensive exhibition covering all aspects of imaging, information, communications, and digital networking.

A new history as a "complex" exhibition of cutting-edge technology begins here. The era was truly the heyday of digital consumer electronics. BS digital broadcasting began in 2000, and many new plasma and LCD TVs were on display at the 4th show in 2003. In 2006, the two camps sparked off a battle for the next-generation DVD standard at the 7th show. 200,000 visitors came to the show in 2007. Since then, smartphones, 3D (three-dimensional) TVs, and high-definition displays such as 4K/8K have been unveiled at CEATEC.

CEATEC, which had been held as a "comprehensive exhibition of cutting-edge IT and electronics," had developed into a "festival of digital consumer electronics" in line with the trends of the times, and was strongly communicating this image. If you had a strong impression at the time, you may have thought that "CE" in CEATEC stood for "Consumer Electronics".

However, due to changes in global conditions and industry trends, the number of exhibitors and visitors to CEATEC has taken a turn for the worse. In 2015, the number of visitors was the lowest in the history of the last 16 CEATEC events held as CEATEC. In the same year, a new organizer project was set in motion, and the face of CEATEC's exhibitors began to change. Kinki Nippon Tourist Co.,Ltd. and Rakuten Group, Inc. exhibited for the first time in a special exhibit called "NEXT Street".

The service industry's first participation in CEATEC created drew a lot of attention. The following year, in 2016, it was further expanded in scale and evolved into "IoT Town". Many "IoT front-runners" from industries other than IT and electronics have been exhibiting at this organizer's event. With more than 150,000 visitors to CEATEC in 2017 and 2018, CEATEC has been transformed into a comprehensive IoT exhibition that brings together everything from electronic components and devices that form the backbone of the IoT to finished products, the equipment in which they are embedded, and the various services that utilize them.

Due to the spread of the COVID-19 in 2020, CEATEC was not held in-person at Makuhari Messe and was held entirely online.
As a result, a total of more than 150,000 people visited the online venue in 2020 and another 80,000 in 2021, indicating a high level of interest.
While the feedback showed the potential of the online format, the growing demand for face-to-face communication led us to shift to a hybrid format in 2022, and since then, we have continued to hold face-to-face sessions while utilizing the online format.

And in 2024. CEATEC, which has continued to evolve to reflect the times, will celebrate its 25th anniversary.
Some things continue to change while others remain consistently the same.
It means asking society how people's lives can be enriched through the use of the latest technology and bringing together players from a wide range of industries and business sectors to do so.
As the name "Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies" suggests, the tradition of CEATEC as a combined exhibition of cutting-edge technologies will not fade away in the future.

（Updated August 20, 2024）