A Historic Building Preserving the Style of Early Showa Modernism
The original building was constructed in 1934 as the office of the former Kiryu Textile Industry Association.
Its exterior features distinctive scratch tiles, a popular architectural material at the time, together with a roof covered in blue-green Western-style tiles. The two-story wooden building combines Western architectural influences with a restrained and elegant appearance, reflecting the prosperity of Kiryu’s textile industry during the early Showa period.
The former large hall on the second floor contains stained-glass windows, creating a stylish and modern atmosphere that would have been considered particularly progressive when the building was constructed.
Its architectural and historical value was officially recognized in 1997, when the building was registered as a Nationally Registered Tangible Cultural Property.
It has also been recognized as a Heritage of Industrial Modernization and included among the component cultural properties of the Japan Heritage story “Kakaa-Denko: Gunma’s Silk Story.”
The “Command Center” Behind Kiryu’s Textile Growth
The building was formerly the office of the Kiryu Textile Industry Association, which played an important role in the rapid development of Kiryu’s textile industry.
After overcoming the economic difficulties following the Showa Depression, Kiryu’s textile industry entered a period of prosperity around the middle of the 1930s. This building served as a central location for business strategies, commercial transactions, and quality control.
In this sense, it can be described as the industry’s “command center,” where important decisions supporting the textile-producing region were made.
The Women Who Supported the Textile Industry
Among the people who worked in the building were pioneering women known at the time as “shokugyo fujin,” or professional working women.
Some worked as telephone operators or typists, handling administrative duties and communications that were essential to the rapidly developing industry.
Their contributions, together with the efforts of countless craftsmen, merchants, and workers, helped Kiryu grow into a city widely known as a “textile city.”
Reborn as a Tourism and Cultural Center
After a new textile hall was completed, the historic building was used for purposes such as rental rooms. In 2001, it was renamed the Kiryu Textile Memorial Museum and given a new role as a center for welcoming visitors and promoting products from the local textile industry.
In 2012, an exhibition room was established on the second floor, strengthening the building’s role as a center for industrial tourism.
The building’s nostalgic exterior and substantial interior have also made it attractive as a filming location for movies and television dramas.
Simply walking through the building offers visitors an opportunity to experience the atmosphere of early Showa-era Japan, when Kiryu’s textile industry was at the heart of the local economy.
First Floor – Discover Authentic Kiryu Textile Products
The first floor serves as a sales area for Kiryu textile products, offering visitors the chance to purchase fabrics and finished goods directly from the traditional textile-producing region.
The Orisho-no-Ma
On the right side, the Orisho-no-Ma specializes in traditional Japanese clothing products, including kimono, obi sashes, and textile accessories.
Special exhibitions are also held periodically, allowing visitors to see new works and distinctive products created by textile producers in Kiryu.
Fabrics and Textile Goods for Modern Lifestyles
The sales area on the left offers a wide selection of textiles for Western-style clothing, fashion fabrics, interior fabrics, and textiles sold by the length.
Products include Kiryu silk neckties, Jacquard-woven scarves and stoles, Kinran-style Goshuin notebooks, bags, pouches, Japanese fabrics, and fabric remnants.
Because these products are sold directly from the textile-producing area, visitors can enjoy choosing fabrics and designs while examining their texture and craftsmanship up close.
White scarves and silk materials intended for dyeing are also available, making the shop popular with people interested in creative activities such as natural plant dyeing.
The sales area is appreciated not only by tourists but also by local residents as a place where the traditional textile techniques of Kiryu can be encountered in everyday life.
Second Floor – Discover More Than 1,300 Years of Textile History
The second-floor exhibition room introduces the traditional techniques and manufacturing processes of Kiryu Textiles through actual tools, machinery, and textile works.
Exhibits include an Hatcho twisting machine and traditional looms. The museum also provides explanations of Kiryu’s seven representative weaving techniques: Omeshi-ori, Yoko Nishiki-ori, Tate Nishiki-ori, Futsu-ori, Uki Tate-ori, Tate Kasuri Mon-ori, and Mojiri-ori.
Visitors can also see kimono, rolls of fabric for traditional clothing, Western-style fabrics, sample books of textiles produced for export, historic flags, and documentary materials.
Together, these exhibits provide an overview of Kiryu’s textile history from ancient times to the modern era.
Learn Through Videos and Historical Resources
The museum also provides videos and a reference library containing materials related to the textile industry. Explanations from staff members can help visitors gain a deeper understanding of the production techniques, tools, and historical background of Kiryu weaving.
For international visitors, the museum offers a valuable opportunity to see how textile production was connected not only with craftsmanship but also with trade, industry, technology, and everyday life.
Kiryu Textiles and the Natural Environment of the City
Kiryu developed in a basin surrounded by nature, with views toward Mount Akagi and the Kiryu and Watarase Rivers flowing through the region.
Sericulture flourished here from ancient times, and the area’s natural environment helped support the development of silk production and weaving.
The Legend of Shirataki-hime, which tells of the introduction of advanced weaving techniques to Kiryu, is another important part of the city’s cultural identity.
Over the centuries, Kiryu Textiles became famous enough to be described as “Nishijin in the west, Kiryu in the east.” During the modern era, the industry continued to develop through the introduction of factory-based production and advanced technologies such as Jacquard looms.
Today, Kiryu remains a diverse textile-producing region where many small and specialized businesses work together. Traditional techniques continue to be preserved while manufacturers explore new products and materials.
Experience the Story of Kiryu, the “Textile City”
The Kiryu Textile Memorial Museum is more than a museum displaying old objects. It is a place where visitors can experience the history, pride, and determination that shaped Kiryu’s textile industry.
The historic building itself is part of the story. Its architecture, machinery, fabrics, documents, and products reveal how generations of people transformed Kiryu into one of Japan’s best-known textile-producing towns.
When visiting Kiryu, be sure to explore this historic building and discover the story of the city’s textile heritage. The museum offers a fascinating glimpse into the spirit of Japanese craftsmanship and the people who have continued to weave Kiryu’s traditions into the future.