Fish or squid, which are consumed heavily by the populous of the island country, are attracted to the bright lights generated from these lamps, allowing fisherman to catch more at night than they could by fishing during the daytime. Depending on the style of the fisherman, underwater or surface lamps are used. Underwater lamps are made with tempered glass to resist the water pressure and can be submerged at up to 400m below sea level. Surface lamps are used on the broad-deck to attract the fish, drawing them near the fishing boat.

Sensing a growth in demand, Koto was the first in Japan to develop metal halide lamps, in 1979, followed by the first 20KW halogen lamp used in the motion picture and entertainment industries, and their bulbs are now utilised on sets worldwide to light up productions including those made in Hollywood, UK, Germany, France, Bollywood, Middle East, South East Asia and China.

Koto has just over 170 employees. The company is headquartered in Tokyo and the manufacturing facility is about an hour northwest of the capital city, in the rural farming area of Ibaraki. Koto’s large factory is a spectacle of flames, molten glass and liquid nitrogen, where precise craftsmanship, modern machinery and artisanal glass blowing are fused together, especially for the manufacture of larger bulbs. Smaller wattage bulbs, like Koto’s 200W range, are fully-made by automated machines. However, due to their size, the manufacture of bigger wattage lamps, like the 9KW and 18KW, cannot be automated. So, skillful technicians who have trained for over ten years, form each and every single large glass bulb by hand and breath.