YAMAGUCHI, Japan -- The world's top supplier of equipment for producing imitation crab sticks is now contributing to cutting-edge medical technology, thanks to a try-anything approach that has expanded its reach well beyond its core business.
Japan's Yanagiya pays close attention to customer requests, spurring innovation

President Yoshio Yanagiya of Yanagiya Machinery stands with the company's signature vacuum cutter. (Photo by Mitsutoshi Kouta)
YAMAGUCHI, Japan -- The world's top supplier of equipment for producing imitation crab sticks is now contributing to cutting-edge medical technology, thanks to a try-anything approach that has expanded its reach well beyond its core business.