An oasis of Japanese lifestyle in Zurich
Sato never wanted to be a classic furniture store. After 1994, the main shop at Ausstellungsstrasse 39 in Zurich was transformed into an oasis that became more Japanese each year. The "Schopf", the wooden outbuilding, was transformed into an elegant showroom for the bedsteads and sofas. But it wasn't just furniture, futons and tatami. The courtyard became a place of inspiring tranquillity. A large tatami stage, a rock garden, a small bamboo grove, the soothing sound of wind bells and a pleasantly splashing stone fountain were added. An in-house sewing atelier with a high-quality range of textiles for duvets, sleeping and sitting cushions and a sake shop added to the product range. Sato had finally found his unmistakable signature. "It is quite possible that you just wanted to take a quick look at Sato and then only leave it after an hour," is how the Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger described this Japanese experience in the middle of Zurich.
