Latest / The Manufacturing Podcast with Fexingo: Factories, Supply Chains, and Industrial Business
How a Japanese Factory Turns Scrap Kimono Silk into Industrial Fibers
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how a century-old textile factory in Kyoto, Japan, is transforming discarded kimono silk into high-performance industrial fibers used in aerospace composites and medical sutures. The factory, run by the Yamashita family for four generations, processes 12 tons of silk waste annually, selling material to Boeing and Johnson & Johnson. Lucas breaks down the economics: the raw silk waste costs $2 per kilogram, but the refined industrial fiber sells for $180 per kilogram, a 90x markup. Luna questions whether this model can scale beyond Japan's cultural…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.