Japanese customers have an endless appetite for cool minivans, so no Tokyo auto show would be complete without at least a half-dozen. Here's Honda's entry for 2009: the Skydeck concept.

The Honda Skydeck is a 6-seat hybrid minivan. We know that Honda wants to take the Insight's hybrid formula and expand it into new areas of the market and the captivating Skydeck is one doable direction. But the appeal of such a vehicle would likely be limited to Japan, where the minivan is sacred. In the U.S., a hybrid minivan still seems like a tough sell to familymobile buyers who, no matter what they, always, always have their eye on the bottom line and won't necessarily spend big bucks on hybrid tech.

For now, at least, the Skydeck is a pure concept with no word of what's under the hood. But the Skydeck could be more significant than it initially appears with its flamboyant scissor-type doors. You see, it relocates the Insight's hybrid system battery to sit within the centre console that runs along the cabin floor — perhaps a clue to a next-generation IMA hybrid system designed to power bigger vehicles.

More photos after the jump.