Motor industry leaders deserved praise for turning out in force at Japan's 35th International Motor Show and stacking their stands high with cutting-edge technology, impressive designs and a raft of bright ideas to get 21st century motoring off to a vibrant start. But the same could not be said for the hundreds of lesser luminaries, import sales executives and distributors who shunned the event at Makuhari, near Tokyo. While they stayed away in response to the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, their action was widely seen as an insult to an industry trying hard to kick-start car sales and attract the business so badly needed to help drive Japan out of the economic doldrums.
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