A koma (小間) is the booth unit Japanese organisers use to sell exhibition space. At many shows one koma is 3 m wide by 3 m deep, or 9 m², so two koma make 3 m × 6 m. Some shows differ, and RX Japan’s March 2026 mini booth was 3 m × 2.7 m. For 2027 shows, check the koma booth size in your manual before you design anything.

Key dates and facts

• Standard koma, TCT Japan 2023: 9 m², 3 m wide by 3 m deep; partition panels 2.7 m high. (Checked on [DATE] — source: TCT Japan guide)
• Nominal 3.0 m, drawn 2.97 m centre to centre, Sensor Expo Japan 2019. (Checked on [DATE] — source: Sensor Expo Japan)
• SMART ENERGY WEEK, March 2026: mini booth 3 m × 2.7 m; regular booth 6 m × 2.7 m; maximum stand height 3.6 m. (Checked on [DATE] — source: RX Japan manual)
• Small koma, CEATEC 2022: 2 m × 2 m × 2.7 m high, up to two per company. (Checked on [DATE] — source: CEATEC rules)
• IPF Japan 2026: corner placement commitment for orders of three koma or more, if applied for by 1 April 2026. (Checked on [DATE] — source: IPF Japan form)

What a koma is

The basic unit is a koma. The koma 小間 booth unit is how Japanese organisers measure, price and allocate space, so your application asks for a number of koma, not square metres. IPF Japan 2026 priced its standard space per koma, at about 9 m² each. BoothJAPAN offers exhibition booth services in Japan for companies based outside the country, and the notes below help you specify a stand either way. ipfjapan

This koma booth size guide covers the units, shapes and rules you meet when you specify a stand for a Japanese show. Each show publishes its own figures in its manual. The koma booth size 2027 editions use will therefore come from the organiser, and this guide shows the patterns to expect.

What is a koma? Japanese booth sizes explained

A koma is a fixed-size plot on the hall floor plan. The organiser places it after applications arrive. At TCT Japan 2023, positions were assigned in order of application, taking the exhibits and the number of koma into account. The same word appears on every form, so learn it first. tctjapan

How big one koma is (and exceptions to the usual koma booth size)

At many Japanese trade shows, the koma booth size is 9 m²: 3 m wide by 3 m deep. Treat that as your Japanese booth size until the manual says otherwise. TCT Japan 2023 defined one koma as 9 m², with a 3 m opening and 3 m depth. Event Tool 2025 added a height of 2.7 m. A 3m x 3m booth is therefore the starting assumption. tctjapantv-osaka

Read the numbers carefully. Sensor Expo Japan 2019 gave 3.0 m by 3.0 m by 2.7 m, but its drawing showed 2.97 m centre to centre. The CEATEC 2016 rules showed the same 2,970 mm. The Japanese term 芯々 (shin-shin) means centre to centre. Your usable floor can be a little smaller than the nominal figure. sensorexpojapanceatec

Find the figure in the exhibition guide, 出展要項 (shuttsuten yōkō), or in the regulations section of the manual. Application forms repeat it beside the price. If a form shows only an area, ask for the dimensions in writing.

Exceptions exist, and the koma booth size rules differ by organiser. They can also differ by exhibitor type within one show.

Koma booth size for foreign companies often starts with a pavilion. At SMART ENERGY WEEK 2026, the mini booth belonged to the International Pavilion. wsew

Why two koma is 3 m × 6 m

Koma add by area, so the koma booth size multiplies with your order. A row of koma keeps the 3 m depth while the width grows. Two koma therefore measure 3 m × 6 m, or 18 m². The aisle side is the 間口 (maguchi, frontage). The 奥行 (okuyuki) is the depth.

For eight koma or more, one organiser’s guide calculated space as 9 m² times the number of koma. The shape can change while the area stays the same. Sensor Expo Japan 2019 let exhibitors of four or five koma choose a row or a block. A 36 m² plot can be a long row or a square block, if the organiser allows both. cyclemodesensorexpojapan

Use the area to test your brief. If your stand needs 24 m², two koma at 18 m² is too small. Three koma give 27 m². The extra 3 m² goes to storage or a meeting corner.

Corner and island plots (角小間, 島小間)

A 角小間 (kado-koma) is a corner plot. A 島小間 (shima-koma) is an island plot. Organisers also write 独立小間 (dokuritsu-koma, independent koma). The difference is how many sides face an aisle.

Larger blocks follow named patterns. One organiser listed independent double koma of 8, 10 or 12, and independent triple koma of 9, 12, 15 or 18, all open on four sides. Ask your organiser for its own list. renewableenergy

Everyone wants a corner. IPF Japan 2026 said it could not consider corner or main-aisle requests, because nearly all exhibitors make them. It committed to two or three open sides for orders of three koma or more, if applied for by 1 April. Orders of four or more got three open sides, and twelve or more got four. ipfjapanipfjapan

What this means for your design

Design to the koma booth size you are given. Its open sides, panel height and height limit decide the stand. Booth design Japan 2027 begins with those three facts, not with a render.

Height and panels

At TCT Japan 2023, the organiser fitted partition panels 2.7 m high between neighbouring koma. Height limits depend on koma count. A 2013 renewable energy show allowed 2.7 m for one to seven koma, 3.6 m at a 1 m setback, and 5 m for eight or more. Sensor Expo Japan 2019 allowed up to 4 m for one to three koma, set back from the aisle. RX Japan’s 2026 manual set 3.6 m and banned two-storey structures. Exhibition stand design Tokyo teams should check the figure for their own koma count. TCT2023 J +3

For a wider choice of formats, read shell scheme, package booth or custom stand. For the design brief itself, see booth design for Japanese trade shows.

Floors and ceilings follow the same rule: ask first. RX Japan’s 2026 manual bans hanging banners or wires from the hall ceiling. Anchors and floor work need pre-approval, so tell your builder early. wsew

Fire-retardant materials

A 防炎 fire retardant booth uses labelled materials. Local fire guidance under Article 8-3 of the Fire Service Act lists plywood used for stands, back screens and partitions at exhibition venues. RX Japan’s manual requires labels on carpets and curtains and refuses on-site spray. Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency has warned of counterfeit labels that imitate those issued by the Japan Fire Retardant Association. Buy from a registered source. www.city.kashiwa.lg.jp +2

Systems and graphics

A modular booth Japan exhibitors own can adapt to different koma. One published case describes parts for two koma, 3 × 6 m, that also fit one koma, a corner koma or a single-open layout. We recommend Japanese-language headlines for booth graphics Japanese visitors read at a glance. Size them to the real panel, not the nominal koma. Booth construction Tokyo Big Sight shows follow the same panel logic, so confirm the dimensions with the organiser. ipros

How many koma you need

Count what must fit on the stand, convert it to the koma booth size at 9 m² each, then check the organiser’s own unit. A trade show booth Tokyo organisers sell by koma leaves little room for guesswork. Event Tool 2025 priced an ordinary koma at ¥198,000, and ¥165,000 per koma for four or more, tax included. Fees also shape the count. For help linking koma count to show goals, see exhibition planning and management in Japan. tv-osaka

• List products, demonstration equipment, counter, meeting seats and storage.
• Convert the footprint to koma at the organiser’s area per koma.
• Ask whether larger orders get corner or island layouts.
• Ask whether small koma exist, and who may book them.
• Check the height limit for your koma count.
• Ask how the fee changes if you add or drop one koma.

RX Japan’s manual says the halls have no storage for empty crates. Plan that space inside the stand, or arrange removal. Storage that is hidden behind a back wall still uses floor area, so count it in the koma you order. wsew

What to check before you design anything

Ask the organiser a short list of questions about the koma booth size and layout, then confirm the answers in the manual. Do this before a designer draws anything. Send the questions by email, keep the reply with your design file, and ask which document applies if two disagree.

• What are the exact koma dimensions, and are they centre to centre?
• How many sides are open, and is the plot a corner or an island?
• What panel height does the organiser fit, and where?
• What height limit applies to your koma count?
• What does the fee include? At TCT Japan 2023, installation, decoration, power, water, cleaning and waste handling were excluded. tctjapan
• Who is the exhibition booth contractor Japan organisers appoint? At TCT Japan 2023, package orders went to the organiser’s construction company. tctjapan
• What are the move-in and move-out windows? Booth installation dismantle Japan schedules are fixed. At SMART ENERGY WEEK 2026, vehicles entered on two move-in days, and move-out vehicles ran from 6:00pm to 10:00pm. wsew
• When is the floor plan available? RX Japan issues its pit plan from two months before the show. wsew

Common koma mistakes

• Designing to the nominal 3 m, not the centre-to-centre figure. Sensor Expo Japan 2019 drew 2.97 m. sensorexpojapan
• Assuming every show uses 9 m². RX Japan’s 2026 mini booth measured 3 m × 2.7 m. wsew
• Counting on a corner plot without checking the organiser’s commitment and deadline.
• Ordering koma for the display only, with no room for storage or crates.
• Using unlabelled materials, then finding the fire inspector rejects them.

BoothJAPAN service tie-in: Booth & Production

BoothJAPAN handles the Japan side of trade shows for companies based outside Japan. It works with you in English and with Japanese organisers, venues and suppliers in Japanese. Under Booth & Production, it can take on booth design for Japanese shows, construction and fabrication, modular and system stands, installation and dismantling, graphics and large-format printing, and fire-retardant (防炎, bōen) compliance. That means your koma dimensions, panel heights and material labels are handled together, in English. See exhibition booth services in Japan for the full list.

Frequently asked questions

Can I choose my koma position?

Usually not freely. TCT Japan 2023 assigned positions in order of application. IPF Japan 2026 treated corner and main-aisle requests as impossible to meet for everyone. Apply early, ask what corner commitments come with larger orders, and treat a corner as a bonus, not a given. tctjapanipfjapan

Does the koma fee include the stand?

Often not. TCT Japan 2023 excluded installation, decoration, power, water, cleaning and waste handling. Event Tool 2025 supplied system panels, but no name board, flooring or sockets. Compare what each organiser lists before you compare fees. tctjapantv-osaka

What is a small koma booth size?

A smaller unit for selected exhibitors. CEATEC 2022 offered a 2 m × 2 m × 2.7 m small package booth, up to two koma per company. A renewable energy show limited its 2 m × 2 m koma to small and medium-sized firms, and barred combining it with 3 m × 3 m koma. Check eligibility first, because a small koma can be closed to large firms. ceatecrenewableenergy

Do neighbouring koma share walls?

Often yes. At TCT Japan 2023, the organiser fitted a 2.7 m partition where koma adjoined. Event Tool 2025 said panels might be omitted depending on koma count and position. Ask what is supplied before you design a back wall. tctjapantv-osaka

Does the price per koma change with the order?

At some shows, yes. IPF Japan 2026 charged ¥330,000 per standard koma for one to three, and ¥275,000 for twelve or more, tax included. Check the organiser’s table, because one large order can cost less per koma. ipfjapan

To scope the koma booth size, design and build for your show, tell us the show, the dates and your stand size, and request a quote from BoothJAPAN.