Tomioka 富岡

The city of Tomioka in southwest Gunma has become synonymous with the modernization of industry in Japan.

Tomioka is accessible by train or car.

From Takasaki Station, take the Joshin Dentetsu for about 40 minutes and get off at Joshu-Tomioka Station.

From Tokyo, take the Joetsu Shinkansen or Hokuriku Shinkansen to Takasaki then the Joshin Dentetsu to Joshu-Tomioka Station. The journey takes 1.5 hours.

One of Gunma's most important shrines is located in Tomioka. The 1,400-year-old Nukisaki-jinja Shrine (National Important Cultural Property) houses the god of weaving and agriculture.

The Gunma Safari Park is close by, as well as the Gunma Museum of Natural History, which houses a full-scale dinosaur skeleton.

The Tomioka Silk Mill and related sites, including Tajima Yahei Sericulture Farm, Takayama-sha Sericulture School, and Arafune Cold Storage, were listed as World Heritage Sites in 2014, in recognition of the important role they played in bringing the silk industry to the world.

Strolling around the streets, you will notice an unmistakable French influence in recognition of the building site director and French employees who worked when the Silk Mill was first established.