More than a century ago Edison combed the planet for a new long lasting material to work as a filament in his new light bulb. His staff finally found this filament in Japanese bamboo. To this day Edison is revered in this country for the strong economic contribution he made to their economy.
“In search for a longer-lasting bulb, Edison searched for a new material to use as a filament, and sent his staff across the world, acquiring bamboo from China and various regions in Japan. The bulb whose filament was made from fibers from bamboo called madake, grown in the Otokoyama mountain area in Yawata, lasted for 1,000 hours.”