Where the Fires Burned
The Goto Textile Former Kettle House (後藤織物旧釜場, Gotō Orimono Kyū-Kamaba) is a single-storey timber boiling house built in 1949 in Higashi 1-chome, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, to replace one removed during the war, and was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 27, 2006. It stands east of the Main House, toward the northeast, facing south, with a building area of 56 square metres.
The gabled building measures 4 and a half by 3 and a half Ken, its ridge running east to west. Set a little west of centre inside are 5 brick-built hearths holding large, medium and small kettles. The roof is carried on king-post trusses, with a raised ventilating ridge a little west of centre, and the walls are clapboard. The national record counts the Goto Textile Former Kettle House among the mill's principal buildings.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a tiled roof. According to Kiryu City, it was originally covered with concrete tiles and was re-roofed in sheet steel during a 2015 renovation.
Why It Was Registered
The kettle house was listed for its contribution to the historic landscape of the nation. This was the mill's heat plant, where water was boiled and yarn was cooked; in a business that ran from dyeing through twisting to weaving, it seems to have served the stages in which the thread itself was treated.
It had already been lost once. In 1944, under wartime industrial controls, Goto's factory, kettle house and dormitory were handed over to Nippon Kikai Co. The present building is the replacement put up in 1949. The factory was rebuilt at the same time, so the mill recovered its looms and its kettles together.
Above all, the equipment is still inside. Kiryu City reports that the brick furnace with its 5 firing mouths survives with its large, medium and small iron kettles, along with the lower half of the chimney. Here you can see not just the shell but the whole apparatus for making fire.
What to Look For
Start with the south front, which is open almost from end to end. That let steam and heat escape and made it easy to carry in firewood and yarn.
Inside, the row of 5 firing mouths in the brickwork is the centre of attention. The kettles come in three sizes, presumably so that different quantities of yarn or different processes could be handled. The stump of the chimney beside the furnace shows how the smoke was drawn off.
There is no ceiling, so the king-post trusses are fully exposed. On the ridge sits a raised vent roof, which Kiryu City's survey calls an okiyane. Heat and steam from the furnace rose straight out through the top; the shape of the roof is itself the ventilation system.
Visiting
The Goto Textile Former Kettle House is east of the Main House; on a reserved tour you reach it by walking round the side of the house. The brick furnace and iron kettles are old equipment, so look without touching. Ask when you book how much of the interior is shown and whether photography is allowed.
Directions, booking and opening details for the whole mill are on the Goto Textile Mill page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Gunma
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Goto Textile Former Kettle House
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Q&A
- What was the Goto Textile Former Kettle House used for?
- It housed the mill's heat plant for boiling water and yarn. The national record counts it among the main buildings of the mill.
- When was the Goto Textile Former Kettle House built?
- In 1949, replacing the kettle house removed under wartime industrial controls in 1944.
- What survives inside the Goto Textile Former Kettle House?
- A brick furnace with 5 firing mouths, still holding large, medium and small iron kettles, and the lower half of the chimney.
- What is the small roof on top of the Goto Textile Former Kettle House?
- A raised ventilating ridge. With no ceiling inside, heat and steam from the furnace escaped straight through it.
- What is the roof of the Goto Textile Former Kettle House made of?
- The national record says tiles. Kiryu City reports that it was originally covered with concrete tiles and re-roofed in sheet steel during a 2015 renovation.
Basic Information
| Name | Goto Textile Former Kettle House (後藤織物旧釜場) |
|---|---|
| Location | 730 Higashi 1-chome, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), registration no. 10-0164 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/3/27 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey, tiled roof, building area 56 square metres |
| Owner | Texte Kiryu Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Open by advance reservation (weekdays) |
References
- Cultural Heritage Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs: 後藤織物旧釜場 (Goto Textile Former Kettle House)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005415
- Goto Orimono (Kiryu City official website, Japanese)
- https://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/kankou/bunkazai/1010700/kunitouroku/1007533.html
- Goto Orimono: Factory, Former Kettle House, Storage Shed, Exhibition Room, East and West Storehouses (Kiryu City, PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/_res/projects/default_project/_page_/001/007/533/02-gotopdf.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.24
