The party was held in their main Omotesando outlet. This store attracts many consumers in this high-end neighbourhood, but many interior designers come to the shop as well to specify new products into projects and also show clients the actual materials. 

On this night though, the shop was packed with the elite people of top design firms like A.N.D. Aoyama Nomura Design, Cafe Co., Hashimoto Yukio Design Studio, ICE, Nomura Kougei, Noriyuki Otsuka Design Office, Super Potato, and Tanseisha. Even the president's of Wise Wise's rivals like Sempre and Time & Style were on hand to honour Sato-san's accomplishments over the past 11 years. Twenty of the distinguished guests were each asked to say a few words during the evening and many were treated like rock stars by screaming and picture snapping fans. Wow.

In talking to some of these special guests I learned that one of them had just specified Brent Comber's work into a hotel project. Wow again! I then looked out over the crowd and remembered that two of the other major stars at the event have Brent's work in their own offices now. Double wow!! 

Since we began this furniture program in Japan, we have gone from "what is Canada doing at this show?" to having personal access to top design firms. In fact, at first the Design Association was worried about what we would show at 100%, but this year they want to put pieces by Judson Beaumont and Brent Comber into the show's centre piece display on "eco." As we gear up for 100% Design Tokyo 2009, I am really looking forward to see how big of a splash we will make for Canada this year. What's bigger than a "wow?"