These retail stores added feather jackets and bedding products to their line of products, and these products soon became readily available through television shopping. Demands further expanded as feather jackets became available through major sporting goods and camping equipment makers. Perhaps, the popularity of feather bedding products were due much to the spreading of beds, as such products served to free the Japanese from using heavy cotton bedding products which they used for years. The secret behind the popularity of feather bedding products was that it was lighter in weight and warmer than artificial light-weight cotton bedding products. Feathers and downs mainly come from ducks, geese, and eider.
Duck feather is most popular as they are cheaper than that of geese.
Down, cotton feather and feather can be obtained from water birds, while only feather can be taken from non-swimming birds. Feather is soft and elastic, however warped like a bow, they sometimes stick out of the shell when too long. Down is taken from the closest part to the skin of water birds, especially around the chest. They are known for keeping warmth due to its capability of holding air with low heat transmission inside. The amount of feather that can be taken per plumage is 100g for duck and 120-130g for geese.