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Ⓒ Tomioka City Tourism Association
HOME > Japan’s Local Treasures > Tomioka Warehouse and Gunma's Sericulture
Learn about history of silk production in the historical buildings restored by world-renowned architect Kengo Kuma
Tomioka City Tourism Association
If you plan to visit the World Heritage site Tomioka Silk Mill, don’t miss the Tomioka Warehouse, a complex of three historical buildings restored under the guidance of Kengo Kuma, one of Japan’s leading contemporary architects. Located right in front of Joshu-Tomioka Station, Tomioka Warehouse is the perfect place to complete your journey through the World Heritage city.
Built between 1901 and 1923, the three warehouses were used to store cocoons, rice, soybeans, and other cereals. The complex was donated to Tomioka City in 2016 and reopened after renovations were completed in 2022. It now houses a retail shop, a shared kitchen, a café, a souvenir shop, a workshop area, and the World Heritage Visitor Center also called Sekaito.
The white wires running beneath the ceiling of each building, inspired by the silk threads once produced in Tomioka, are used to seismically reinforce the structure. The three warehouses were each constructed using a different material – wood, stone, or brick – and each has a distinct atmosphere that transports you back in time.
Through exhibits, animated interactive tabletops of details about the people and places involved, and workshops where you can create herbariums and accessories out of silk cocoons, it offers an opportunity to learn about the history of the region's silk production. Open-air markets are occasionally held on weekends in the central courtyard.
How to get there
From Takasaki Station, take the Joshin-Dentetsu Line to Joshu-Tomioka Station (about 40 minutes). You will find Tomioka Warehouse on your right when you get out of the station.
1450-1 Tomioka, Tomioka-shi, Gunma-ken
