The {{17th International Jewellery Tokyo}} ({{IJT}}) 2006, held from January 25 to 28 at Tokyo Big Sight, concluded to its largest success ever, once again establishing itself as the representative jewellery trade show in Asia. With record exhibitor and visitor attendance, the buzz on the floor was that this year was the most successful yet for Asia's first major jewellery trade show of the year.

Largest Exhibition Area:

From five halls in the previous year, IJT 2006 expanded its total exhibition area to its largest size ever, occupying a maximum six halls of the East Wing at Tokyo Big Sight. As a result, this year's show space was 4 times larger than Tokyo's largest baseball stadium, the Tokyo Dome.

IJT attained two more record-breaking figures: exhibitor and visitor totals. 1,519 enthusiastic exhibitors turned up on the floor to show their products at IJT 2006, an increase of 181 exhibitors from the previous year. 990 exhibitors were from Japan, while 529 of the exhibitors came from overseas, representing 35 of the world's major global jewellery producing regions. The show was equally diverse in terms of the range of products displayed. Everything from cutting-edge designer set pieces to new and advanced cuts of diamond; from the latest product design technologies to the finest gems were to be found throughout the six exhibition halls.%% IJT 2006 recorded a new high of 36,178 registered visitors taking part in the event, bringing about four days of brisk business activity with exhibitors. The bulk of these visitors were retailers, wholesalers/distributors and manufacturers, representing all major Japanese regions. An increasing number of visitors from Asia and the rest of the world gathered at the jewellery trade show,

Japan Recovering:

The increase in exhibitor and visitor figures illustrates the growing sentiment that the Japanese economy has recovered from a decade-long recession. Various economic factors such as robust consumer spending and rising GDP are examples of the positive buoyancy in Japan's economic standing, thus facilitating the excellent results reported at IJT 2006. "The Japanese economy has gained more momentum through a rise in the stock market, leading to an overall increase in buying capacity. As a result, we have had many new clients."