The 3-D printer boom in the United States is spreading to Japan as prices decline, but some fear the devices could break the mold, jobwise.
Electronics and automobile makers were the first here to start using 3-D printers to make product prototypes, but the trend is spreading to industries ranging from home builders to jewelers, toy companies and medical companies interested in crafting replacement organs.
Meanwhile, Japan's venerable mold-making industry, respected worldwide for its technique and precision, fears the state-of-the-art machines will some day replace them.