Silk the road to modernization
Embracing World Heritage By Makoto Miyazaki Daily Yomiuri Photographer
When Japan started to modernize after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, its industries lagged far behind the United States and some European countries. In fact, the nation basically relied on the export of only one product for a major source of its funds--silk.
But even this industry was in decline as the quality of the silk products were considered inferior. So the Meiji government decided in 1870 to set up a state-of-the-art silk factory at Tomioka, Gunma Prefecture,
Paul Brunat, a French architect, was put in charge of its construction, which commenced the following year and was completed in July 1872. The plant began operations in October that year.
The Tomioka Silk Mill, which the government proposed in January as one of four sites to be added to the UNESCO World Heritage list, was the largest in the world at the time. It was equipped with silk reeling machine on which 300 people could work at the same time.
The factory employed more than 500 women, and while there is a famous story about women working in a silk reeling factory who were forced to work long hours for low pay, many of the women in the Tomioka plant were from the upper classes, and their treatment is said to have been fairly good.
Pay was decided depending on which of four ranks a person fell into. The highest-ranked workers were paid ¥1.25 a month--equivalent to between ¥150,000 and ¥250,000 today.
By 1909, Japan was leading the world in silk exports.
As most of the foreign currency earned from the exports was spent on the country's naval buildup, it was often said that silk produced military vessels. However, cheap and good-quality Japanese silk was coveted in other countries, and helped popularize the fabric.
The factory was added to the list of World Heritage nominees in recognition of its past importance.
Important buildings such as the manufacturing plant and the cocoon warehouses have been preserved in their original state. It is the only Meiji-era government factory to have remained in almost perfect condition.
The factory is open to the public, and visitors can wander inside and outside building. An hourlong guided tour is also held five times a day, with tours conducted by one of 52 volunteers, aged between 35 to 85, currently registered as guides.
Takatoshi Sato, 67, has been working as a volunteer guide for three years. He applied to become a guide because he wanted to learn more about the factory.
"I meet a lot of different people from various backgrounds through my work. I enjoy talking to them," Sato said.
The volunteer guides hold study sessions with a guest instructor once every two months and exchange ideas and information to help broaden their knowledge.
They also relate interesting anecdotes in the hope that visitors will acquire a better understanding of the factory's history.