How to visit Tokyo Auto Salon 2027 from India: tickets, dates, costs

Tokyo Auto Salon is the one show on the modification calendar that Indian enthusiasts most often plan a trip around. The 2027 edition runs from Friday 15 January to Sunday 17 January at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, across international exhibition halls 1 to 11, the conference building, the event hall and the outdoor areas. It is organised by the Tokyo Auto Salon Association.

Entry is not expensive. The official ticket page lists ¥4,000 for Friday, covering 2pm to 7pm, and ¥3,000 each for Saturday and Sunday. Saturday runs 9am to 7pm and Sunday 9am to 6pm. Children of primary school age and younger get in free when a guardian is with them.

Buying the ticket

There are no paper tickets. Tokyo Auto Salon sells digital tickets only, and the event outline says sales are advance sales, so treat the ticket as something you buy before you fly, not at the gate. You need an iOS or Android phone on a current operating system version, or a PC, to display it at entry. Each ticket is tied to one day, so if you want all three days you buy three tickets.

One detail worth knowing: visitors with valid disability documentation get a ¥500 refund at entry, and that covers one accompanying person.

Friday is the day the industry turns up. The outline lists Friday hours from 9am, but the ¥4,000 public ticket only admits you from 2pm. If you are going to see debuts and talk to parts makers rather than fight crowds, Friday afternoon is the best of the three. Saturday is the busiest.

Getting there, and where to stay

The nearest station is Kaihimmakuhari on the JR Keiyo Line, about a five minute walk from the halls and roughly 30 minutes from Tokyo Station on a Rapid service. From Narita or Haneda you can take a train to Makuharihongo station and then a bus to Makuhari Messe Central, about 17 minutes, or use the Keisei expressway buses that run from both airports directly to the venue.

Stay in Kaihimmakuhari or Makuhari itself if you can book early, because the walk to the gate matters on a cold January morning. Central Tokyo works too, at the cost of a commute each way on a train that will be full of people going to the same show.

Visa, and what you can bring back

This is where Indian passports do well. Business Today reported in July 2026 that when Japan raised its visa fees globally from 1 July 2026, Indians continued to pay Rs 500 for both single entry and multiple entry visas, against Rs 8,650 for a single entry visa for other nationals. VFS service charges apply on top. Japan has also run an eVisa system in India since April 2024 for eligible travellers. The advice in that report is to apply up to three months before travel, which is sensible for a January trip booked in October or November.

Plan your shopping around customs. The Chennai Customs passenger clearance FAQ puts the duty free allowance for an Indian resident arriving from countries other than Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar at Rs 50,000, and it cannot be pooled with another passenger's allowance. A set of wheels, a seat or a full exhaust will blow past that on its own, so declare it at the red channel rather than hoping. Small, light and expensive is the smarter buy at a show like this: badges, shift knobs, suspension bushes, decals, bride and recaro soft goods, and anything that fits in a cabin bag.

Sources

• TOKYO AUTO SALON 2027 ticket information
• TOKYO AUTO SALON 2027 event outline
• Makuhari Messe access
• Japan raised visa fees globally from July 1, but Indians to still pay just Rs 500, Business Today
• Passenger Clearance FAQ, Chennai Customs