The 17th International Jewellery Tokyo, held Jan. 25–28 at the Tokyo Big Sight exhibition center, hosted 1,519 exhibitors, 990 of which were from Japan and 529 of which came from 35 countries around the world. The show also posted a record 36,178 visitors, composed of retailers, wholesalers, distributors, manufacturers, designers, and those in related fields. This figure represents a 50 percent increase in visitors over the past five years, according to show management.

Both show management and exhibitors reported strong business at the fair, owing to growth and positive consumer sentiment in the Japanese economy. Axel Kohlhammer of the German firm Eugen Schofer said, “The Japanese economy has gained more momentum because of a continuous rise in the stock market, and this has led to an overall increase in buying capacity, and as a result we have many new clients. Buyers are also making faster decisions. Overall I believe that the Japanese market is willing to be adventurous and test something new.”