Silk

Silk production has an almost 2000-year history in Japan and is closely associated with one of the most easily recognisable symbols of the country’s culture and tradition: the kimono. Nonetheless, the Japanese silk industry was subject to a dramatic reversal of fortune over the course of the twentieth century as it went from being a leading exporter to a heavily-dependent importer.  The changing face of the Japanese silk textile industry does not necessarily signal the end for Japanese sericulture (the raising and keeping of silk worms); instead, scientific institutes are investing money in R&D in order to develop alternative uses for silk worms within the pharmaceutical sector.

Table of Contents

• Industry Overview
• Silk Textiles
• R&D
• Relevant Organisations and Trade Fairs