What do the mysterious letters “YKK” mean on zippers?
Dear Cecil: I’ve climbed the highest mountains, searched the darkest depths of the public library and even asked my mother. Still I come up with a blank. So here’s my question: have you ever looked at your zipper? I mean really looked? On 90 percent of them there are the letters YKK. Please tell me what YKK means so I can again know inner peace. — Ken Green, Chicago Cecil replies: Ken, listen. Sit down. Take a deep breath. Relax. Here’s the story: YKK means Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikikaisha. Feeling peaceful? No? Man, some guys are never satisfied. OK, here’s a little bonus info. YKK translated means Yoshida Industries Limited. Tadao Yoshida is the Japanese tycoon who founded the company in 1934 and built it into “the foremost manufacturer of closures [zippers, mostly] in the world,” the company’s annual report notes. It’s unfortunate that YKK is not better known, but we must face the fact that a zipper is not the ideal billboard–the only time you get close enough to read the lettering, t