Tomioka Silk Mill, Tomioka, Gunma, Japan (1872)

Artist/Designer: Japanese

Project Location: Japan

Figure 1: Layout at the time of its establishment ( Source | Accessed : October 29, 2024 )

Figure 2: Current Layout ( Source | Accessed : October 29, 2024 )

Figure 3: Map ( Source | Accessed : October 29, 2024 )

Figure 4: Overview ( Source | Accessed : October 29, 2024 )

Figure 5: Exterior of East Cocoon Warehouse ( Source | Accessed : October 29, 2024 )

Figure 6: Exterior of East Cocoon Warehouse ( Source | Accessed : October 29, 2024 )

Figure 7: Exterior of East Cocoon Warehouse ( Source | Accessed : October 29, 2024 )

Figure 8: Interior of East cocoon Warehouse ( Source | Accessed : October 29, 2024 )

Figure 9: Front of the East Cocoon Warehouse ( Source | Accessed : October 29, 2024 )

Figure 10: Exterior of West Cocoon Warehouse ( Source | Accessed : October 29, 2024 )

Figure 11: Exterior of West Cocoon Warehouse ( Source | Accessed : October 29, 2024 )

Figure 12: Interior of West cocoon Warehouse ( Source | Accessed : October 29, 2024 )

Figure 13: Exterior of Silk-reeling Mill ( Source | Accessed : October 29, 2024 )

Figure 14: Interior of Silk-reeling Mill ( Source | Accessed : October 29, 2024 )

Figure 15: Ceiling of Silk-reeling Mill ( Source | Accessed : October 29, 2024 )

Figure 16: A Picture of the Tomioka Silk Mill in Jōshū Province, 1873 ( Source | Accessed : October 29, 2024 )

Figure 17: Study at Tomioka Silk Mill, 1873 ( Source | Accessed : October 29, 2024 )

Style/Period(s):
No Style/Period Assigned.

Primary Material(s):
Brick, Stone, Tile, Wood

Function(s):
No Function Assigned.

Related Website(s):

Official Website of Tomioka Silk Mill | Accessed : October 29, 2024

UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Sites | Accessed : December 3, 2024

Japan National Tourism Organization: Article about Tomioka Silk Mill | Accessed : December 3, 2024

Significant Date(s):
1872

Additional Information:
Tomioka Silk Mill (富岡製糸場, Tomioka Seishijō) is Japan’s oldest modern silk reeling factory, established in 1872 to introduce and spread French silk reeling technology. Located in Tomioka, Gunma Prefecture, it is designated as a National Historic Site, with well-preserved buildings that retain their original appearance from over 150 years ago. The Tomioka Silk Mill consists of numerous buildings within its premises. Some of the main structures, designated as National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties, include: Reeling Factory, East Cocoon Warehouse, West Cocoon Warehouse, Director’s Residence, Steam Boiler Plant, Inspection Office, Worker’s Dormitory, Iron Water Tank, Drainage and Outer Water Channels. As a government-run model factory, it played a key role in advancing Japan’s silk industry through large-scale silk production.

Artist:
Edmond Auguste Bastien (French architect)

Address:
1-1 Tomioka, Tomioka, Gunma, Japan

Significant Dates:
Constructed in 1872, designated World Heritage Site in 2014

Books in Print / Resources:
・Gramlich-Oka, B., Walthall, A., Miyazaki, F., & Sugano, N. (Eds.). (2020). Women and Networks in Nineteenth-Century Japan. Cornell University Press
・Enoki, K., Hashino, T., Vernus, P., & Martini, M. (2024). The Japanese Silk Reeling Industry and Women’s Labor: The Case of the Tomioka Silk Mill. In A Global History of Silk (pp. 119–136)
・Kimura, T., Kingston, J., & Burrett, T. (2023). Memories and Displays of Japan's Early Industrialisation through the Production of Silk: Tomioka Silk Mill, Nomugi Pass and WWII Propaganda. In Routledge Handbook of Trauma in East Asia (pp. 158–168). Routledge

Category:
Factory

Tags:
Japanese Interior, Japanese Architecture, Factory, Silk Mill, Stone, Wood, Brick, Tile, Gunma, Japan

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