On October 21, 1879, inventor Thomas Edison created the world's first incandescent light bulb. Edison experimented daily to find the right material for the filament of the bulb, and eventually discovered that bamboo from Yawata, Kyoto, was the best choice. Until filaments made with tungsten metal were developed, light bulbs made of Japanese bamboo were used around the world to light up people's homes and workplaces. A monument to Edison has been erected in the precincts of Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine, attributing Kyoto's bamboo to Edison's successful invention.