Konnichiwa Tokyo!: GRIPS Field Trip: Tomioka Silk Mill (Part I)

Located in the Gunma Prefecture, the Tomioka Silk Mill is Japan's oldest modern model silk reeling factory. It was established in 1872 with the help of French specialists. As we have learnt in class that silk was one of the most important exports of Japan during the Meiji period, it may be interesting to note that its quality of raw silk in Japan wasn't always high. Japan relied on foreign expertise and labor to implement high-quality manufacturing practices, and the Tomioka Mill is one such example. It was eventually privatized before ending its operations in 1987.

Also, the Tomioka Silk Mill is currently on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. It has met 2 of 6 of the required registration criteria as mentioned below:

1) It clearly reveals the important category of mankind and its merits for the advancement of architecture, technology, monument, city planning, and design for scenery in terms of cultural era of a certain world or time period.

2) It serves as an architectural or technical aggregate displaying the important stages of the history of mankind, or as a sample of outstanding landscape.

Being on the tentative list implies that it has reached the second stage of its application to become a World Heritage site. In the first stage, the site must be protected under sufficient municipal law. In this case, the Tomioka Silk Mill has already been designated as a historical landmark in 2005. In total, six stages have to be fully completed, with the last stage involving a judgement call made by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. For me, it was interesting to learn about the registration process for World Heritage sites. I really appreciate the efforts by Japan in creating awareness, sharing knowledge and the value of culture, tradition and historical economy with international tourists.