These are among the findings in a report in the latest issue of Technical Textile Markets -- a quarterly publication from the global business information company Textiles Intelligence.

Production of synthetic fibres rose by an impressive 21% in 2010, representing the first increase in ten years. Capacity utilisation also rose sharply.

Production of nonwoven fabric rose by 11%, industrial textile goods by 5% and spunbonded fabric by 13%. In the case of cellulosic fibres, production rose by 11%, taking output to its highest level since 2002.

To some extent, the recovery in Japanese fiber and technical textile production reflects inventory replenishment following the global economic crisis. In fact the 21% hike in synthetic fiber production in 2010 followed a 24% drop in 2009.

Also, the prospects for 2011 are somewhat uncertain because of the disruption to production caused by earthquake damage and the resulting tsunami in March 2011. More significantly, electricity is in short supply because of the shutdown of the nuclear power plant in Fukushima.

But on the positive side there are likely to be some short-term gains for the industry as reconstruction progresses. This will lead to a significant rise in the demand for technical textiles for buildings and civil engineering projects.

Over the medium to long term, however, such production is unlikely to be sustainable. Instead, the future of the Japanese technical textile industry will lie in the manufacture of niche, value-added fibers owing to growing competition in the case of basic commodity technical textiles from low cost countries such as China. Interestingly, Japanese production of minor synthetic filament yarns -- which include acrylic, aramid, elastane and vinylon -- surged by 155% to a record level in 2010.