Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Industrial Heritage Sites

Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Industrial Heritage Sites

The Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Industrial Heritage Sites are located in Gunma Prefecture. This was Japan’s first government-run silk mill, established as the nation’s initial model factory with the support of the Meiji government. The buildings of the mill were constructed using a highly unusual method, combining wooden pillars with brick and plaster walls.

The Tomioka Silk Mill was Japan’s first mechanized silk-reeling model factory, established in Meiji 5 (1872) as part of the country’s modernization efforts. The reeling plant measured approximately 140.4 meters in length, 12.3 meters in width, and 12.1 meters in height, making it the largest of its kind in the world at the time. In March 1987, production finally ceased due to the decline in raw silk prices. Nearly all the mill’s buildings were carefully preserved, including the reeling plant, the east and west cocoon warehouses, and the foreign residences (such as the Dormitory for Female Workers, the Inspectors' Building, and the Brunat House), which remain intact in their original condition from the mill’s founding days. Among the national factories built by the Meiji government, the Tomioka Silk Mill is the only one that has been preserved almost entirely in its original form. It is considered the gateway for Japan’s entry into the modern industrial world and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014.

Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Sites

Must-visit reason: Added to the World Heritage List in 2014

Continent where the attraction is located: Asia【Asia】

Country/region where the attraction is located: Japan[Japan]

Province/state where the attraction is located: Gunma Prefecture [Gunma Prefecture]