A Japanese exhibitor manual is the organiser’s rulebook and order book for one show. It sets out the stand rules, the forms you must file and a separate deadline for each service. Read the deadline table first, then match the forms to your stand type. For shows in 2027, plan from the manual’s deadlines, not the opening date.

Key dates and facts

• CONTENT TOKYO, 28–30 June 2023 (reference edition): electricity, rental display system, ceiling and fire-materials orders due 19 May; hydrogen due 12 May; water, compressed air and floor work due 9 June. (Checked on [DATE] — source: RX Japan)
• SMART ENERGY WEEK, 17–19 March 2026 (reference edition): move-in on 15–16 March; no vehicles in the halls after 1:00pm on the second move-in day. (Checked on [DATE] — source: RX Japan)
• Health & Wellness Japan 2025, 26–28 February: guidebook entry due 6 December 2024; exhibitor badges issued by 21 February 2025. (Checked on [DATE] — source: Health & Wellness Japan)
• RX Japan’s 2026 manual states that regulations and prices can change without notice. (Checked on [DATE] — source: RX Japan)

What the Japanese exhibitor manual is

The Japanese exhibitor manual is a per-show document set that joins the organiser’s stand rules, the venue’s rules and an order book of forms. This Japanese exhibitor manual guide shows how to read a Japanese exhibitor manual in the order in which deadlines bite. If you would rather not decode it alone, BoothJAPAN runs an exhibitor manual concierge for companies based outside Japan.

The Japanese term is 出展者マニュアル (shuttensha manyuaru). RX Japan splits its manual into two documents: Regulations and Application Forms. Regulations covers venue information, move-in and move-out, booth construction and fire rules. Application Forms lists the official contractor for each service, with a deadline and an order form. Exhibiting in Japan: Your Complete Guide to Success +2

Every Japanese exhibitor manual 2027 edition is written for one show on one set of dates. An exhibitor manual Japan 2027 version replaces last year’s, so do not reuse it, or another show’s. The Tokyo Big Sight exhibitor rules sit inside the organiser’s document. The RX Japan exhibitor manual for SMART ENERGY WEEK points to the venue’s own facility, access and parking pages, and it applies the Fire Service Act. wsew

Organiser rules trade show Japan organisers publish differ from one organiser to the next. Informa Markets Japan’s Health & Wellness Japan 2025 manual includes a mandatory list. Its CPHI Japan 2025 reminder numbered forms such as A-5 and B-3 in an online manual. Expect a different layout each time, and read the Japanese exhibitor manual from cover to cover before you assign tasks. thiscphijapan

What is inside: rules, forms, orders and schedules

A manual holds four kinds of content, and you read each one differently. Rules say what is allowed. Forms say what to submit. Orders are services you buy. Schedules say when.

A Japanese exhibitor manual is long, so split it by owner: design, freight, staffing and compliance each get their own reader. Learn the Japanese terms early, because forms and contractors use them.

The deadline table and how to read it

Each service has its own deadline and its own contractor, so a manual has many deadlines, not one. Reading exhibitor manual deadlines well means sorting them by date, then by who must approve.

For CONTENT TOKYO in June 2023, the show opened on 28 June. These deadlines applied. content-tokyo

Source: RX Japan’s Application Forms for CONTENT TOKYO 2023. Days are counted to the opening day. content-tokyo

Three patterns matter. The earliest deadlines belong to services that need outside approval. RX Japan’s 2026 manual says hydrogen and fire applications go to the fire department, and late applications may not be accepted. It also says the hydrogen deadline is earlier than in past years. Power and construction come next. Convenience orders come last. wsewwsew

Common mistakes with deadlines

• Designing the stand before you have the pit plan. RX Japan issues it from two months before the show. wsew
• Treating hydrogen or fire items like ordinary orders. They need Japanese documents and fire department permission. wsew
• Sending parcels to the booth with nobody there. Show Management cannot receive them. wsew
• Relying on on-site spray for fire-retardant finishes. It is not accepted as proper procedure. wsew

Match every row to a named contractor, a form and a person on your team. Put the dates in your own calendar in Japan Standard Time (JST). Then use exhibitor manual deadlines in Japan to build the calendar. If you have already missed an exhibitor deadline in Japan, act before the contractor schedules close.

Which forms apply to your stand type

Your stand type decides which forms are mandatory. Organiser forms Japan shows use fall into three groups: show information, construction, and optional services.

Other organisers differ. Health & Wellness Japan 2025 listed guidebook information, exhibitor list information and contractor registration as mandatory. CPHI Japan 2025 separated mandatory forms for package-booth exhibitors from those for space-only exhibitors. Trade show forms Japan organisers send are never identical, so list your own. thiscphijapan

Exhibitor services order forms

Each optional service has its own exhibitor services order form, addressed to a named contractor. The contractor invoices you after the application. International wire transfers should select the option that makes the sender pay bank charges. On-site payments are taken in yen, in cash or by card. content-tokyocontent-tokyo

Portal registration and badges

Exhibitor portal registration comes first. CONTENT TOKYO’s rental display booths were registered through a booth construction page on the show’s website. Exhibitor badge registration Japan shows require comes next. RX Japan asks you to register all booth staff at its Exhibitor Hub before the show, print the badge and bring it. Badges are not needed during move-in and move-out. Health & Wellness Japan 2025 required each person to hold an individual badge. Interpreters from outside your company register for an Exhibitor Contractor Badge. doc manual form en +3

Build regulations and booth design approval

Read the build rules before your design is final, because some organisers need written approval first. Health & Wellness Japan 2025 stated that stand design without the organiser’s written approval is not permitted. CPHI Japan 2025 asked package-booth exhibitors to submit interior decoration drawings. Booth design approval is a form, with a deadline, like any other. thiscphijapan

The Japanese exhibitor manual rules on structure are specific, and they differ by organiser. At SMART ENERGY WEEK 2026, stands could not exceed 3.6 m, and exhibits taller than that needed advance contact with Show Management. Two-storey structures were prohibited. Ceilings needed an application with a plan, elevation and detailed drawing. wsew

Floors need approval too, so tell your stand builder early. Anchor work required pre-approval, with a booth layout. The drawing had to show the number and position of anchors. Anchors could be no deeper than 60 mm and 16 mm wide, and only strike anchors were accepted. The pit plan, showing the hall’s floor pits, arrives from two months before the show and within three working days of a request. doc manual form en +2

Japanese exhibition regulations also cover conduct. Photography outside your own booth is prohibited, and so are sales activities outside it. wsew

Power, internet and fire-retardant sections

Power, internet and fire sections decide if your stand opens on time. Trade show compliance Japan teams check them together.

Electricity and internet

A rental display system includes basic electrical service, so a second form is needed only for extra lighting. A raw-space stand has no such cover, so it needs the Electrical Service form and its own wiring plan. wsew

Power supply started at noon on the second move-in day, and at 8:00am or 8:30am on show days. Extra lighting required additional primary wiring and branch circuit construction, whatever the existing circuits. Venue internet was applied for directly with Tokyo Big Sight. doc manual form en +2

Fire-retardant materials and demonstrations

Fire officials hold final authority. Carpets, curtains, cloth screens and similar items must be fire-retardant and labelled. Foreign goods need domestic labels, and on-site spray is not accepted. Fire and hydrogen applications need a booth layout, an equipment catalogue, a demonstration schedule, a heat calculation and a safety data sheet. Hydrogen applications accept only Japanese documents. If the contractor does not reply within a week, contact it. doc manual en +2

Delivery windows and vehicle passes

Delivery follows the show schedule, and vehicles may enter the halls only at set hours. At SMART ENERGY WEEK 2026, vehicles entered on 15 March between 8:00am and 8:00pm, and on 16 March until 1:00pm. After that, exhibits came in by hand only. No vehicles entered during the show. Move-out vehicles were allowed only from 6:00pm to 10:00pm on the last day. wsewwsew

Every vehicle needed a pass, downloaded from the exhibitors website. Courier companies such as DHL and FedEx did not. Total vehicle weight, including cargo, had to stay under 45 t in the East halls and under 10 t in West Hall 3–4 and South Hall 3–4. wsewwsew

Freight has its own rules. The consignee must be a resident of Japan, and Tokyo Big Sight is not a bonded area. Goods imported under an ATA Carnet are for exhibit only, not for sale, and must go back to where the carnet was issued. Show Management cannot receive parcels for you, so name a delivery time and keep someone at the booth to sign for them. Label each parcel with your booth number, company and contact. Plan freight around the same Japanese exhibitor manual schedule that governs your stand. doc manual form en +2

Amendments and supplementary notices; a manual review checklist

Manuals change, so treat the first version as a draft. RX Japan’s manual says regulations and prices can change without notice. Informa Markets Japan sent CPHI Japan 2025 exhibitors a numbered reminder of submission deadlines. For Mass-Trans Innovation Japan 2025, the floor plan and exhibitor manual were planned for September, with submissions in October, for a late-November show. doc manual en +2

Use this exhibitor checklist Japan teams can reuse for every show:

• Confirm the show name, edition and dates on the cover.
• List every form with its contractor, deadline and owner.
• Mark mandatory and optional forms separately.
• Flag forms that need Japanese documents.
• Check stand height, walls, ceiling and floor work against your design.
• Match freight arrival to the vehicle and delivery windows.
• Register staff for badges, and interpreters for contractor badges.
• Read every notice, and update your list each time.
• Chase any form that gets no reply within a week.

BoothJAPAN service tie-in: Exhibitor Manual Concierge

BoothJAPAN handles the Japan side of trade shows for companies based outside Japan, in English with you and in Japanese with organisers, venues and suppliers. Its exhibitor manual concierge covers the Japanese exhibitor manual for your show and can tell you what applies to your stand and which deadlines matter first, so the forms and contractors in your manual become a short, ordered list. It sits within Planning & Management, alongside show selection, exhibition project management and remote exhibiting. Read about the exhibitor manual concierge, or see planning support for exhibiting in Japan.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Japanese exhibitor manual available in English?

Often, yes. RX Japan publishes English manuals, and Health & Wellness Japan 2025 offered an English manual. Some steps still need Japanese. Hydrogen applications accept only Japanese documents. Ask the organiser which documents must be in Japanese. wsewwsew

Can I order after the deadline?

Sometimes, with limits. At CONTENT TOKYO, on-site orders for rental-display furniture were possible without a guarantee, in cash only. On-site cleaning orders were not accepted. Interpreters on site carried a 50% surcharge. Do not plan around late orders. content-tokyo

How do I pay contractors from abroad?

For rental-display furniture, the contractor invoices you and expects payment within a week. Bank charges fall on the exhibitor. Methods differ by contractor: some accept only bank transfer, and others collect cash or cards on site. content-tokyocontent-tokyo

Do I need insurance for my exhibits?

RX Japan’s manual makes exhibitors responsible for their booth, display and products, and it strongly advises insurance against loss. Neither the organiser nor the venue is liable for loss or theft. Check your own policy covers Japan. wsew

Do I need a privacy notice at my booth?

If you plan to collect personal information at the venue, RX Japan asks you to display your privacy policy or be ready to provide it on request. Check this before you scan badges or collect business cards. wsew

To scope the forms, deadlines and contractors for your show, send us the show, the dates and your stand size, and request a quote from BoothJAPAN.