The story
Tokyo Game Show in Chiba
Tokyo Game Show debuted in August 1996, organized by industry group CESA with Nikkei Business Publications, drawing over 109,000 visitors and 87 exhibitors in its first year. Consolidated into a single annual September show since 2002 and held at Chiba's Makuhari Messe, it has grown into one of the world's largest video game trade fairs, blending industry-focused days with public hands-on access.
Tokyo Game Show made its debut in August 1996, launched by the Japanese video game industry association CESA, the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association, in partnership with the publisher Nikkei Business Publications and with support from Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, at a moment when the country's video game industry was rapidly becoming a defining cultural and economic export.