Visitor increase expected

Fair organisers Reed Exhibitions are expecting some 30 000 visitors – 3 000 more than last year – and 260 exhibitors to attend the third Tool Japan, due to be held in Japan from 9 to 11 October 2013. The trade fair in the Makuhari exhibition centre is being restructured. Now there are to be nine zones instead of the five so far: work tool fair, workers’ gear and safety equipment fair, garden, landscaping tool zone, paint and adhesive fair, related equipment and technology zone, construction and contractor’s tool zone, carpenter’s tools, and measuring tools fair. Once again the Ifex fair (flowers), Gardex/Extepo (garden and outdoor living) and Agritech will be held at the same time. According to the organisers, with reference to the Yano Research Institute, the volume of imported tools in Japan rose by 30 per cent to US $ 345 mio between 2009 and 2012. One reason for this rise in demand is the earthquake in 2011. Tools and hardware from abroad will continue to be greatly in demand in the north-east of the country for the next five years at least.