The bonsai tree may be a symbol of Japanese aesthetics showing that small doesn't necessarily mean settling for less. And a Japanese car exhibition at London's Science Museum drives the point home.

Viewers at the exhibition can see the Japanese vision of the future in small sizes.

A Japanese car exhibition at London's Science Museum drives the point home. [File photo]

The show is sponsored by seven Japanese car manufacturers and explores the theme of size but also the environment, with climate-conscious hybrids and moving urban cells, showing transport as a series of integrated systems.

The Nissan PIVO2, for example, is an egg-shaped car powered by compact lithium-ion batteries.