Organised by two of Japan's most respected visual gurus (architect Shigeru Ban and Muji's chief designer Kenya Hara), Japan Car, the new showcase at London's Science Museum, may be looking at current car production but it also offers a glimpse of the future.
And when it comes to motoring, the future's most definitely green.
Japan's Kei car regulations deal with overcrowding issues, offering tax breaks on a distinct category of mini-vehicles with engines of up to 660cc.
Now the country's best-selling class of automobile, the Kei car has inspired manufacturers to come up with their own brand of tiny sophistication, a leap forward in fuel efficiency. At its extreme, that's seen in the one-person Toyota i-Real, an armchair on wheels.
.Another forward-thinking aspect of Japanese design, driven by the country's problems with air and water pollution as well as its lack of oil reserves, is the pursuit of alternative energy.
Japan Car features hybrid vehicles; the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, an electric car that can run for 160km after charging simply by plugging into a domestic power supply; and a hydrogen-powered car that is now available on lease for use alongside solar-powered hydrogen refuelling stations (the Honda FCX Clarity, which only produces water).
While some exhibits are prototypes, more than half are already on Japan's roads – so we may have more choice than the Prius any day now.
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