Provisions for the People Who Wove
The Goto Textile Storage Shed (後藤織物物置, Gotō Orimono Monooki) is a single-storey timber shed built around 1925 in Higashi 1-chome, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, where food for the staff and fuel were kept, and was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 27, 2006. It runs along the eastern boundary of the site, east of the Factory, with a building area of 55 square metres.
The plan is extraordinarily long and thin: 16 Ken in total length and just 1 ken deep, running north to south with a dog-leg bend partway along. It is roofed in sheet iron with a Maneki-yane, an asymmetrical gable with one long slope. Kiryu City's survey says it faces west, with a lean-to (Geya) on that side.
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the southern half stored miso, soy sauce and other food for the workforce, and the northern half held firewood and charcoal. Kiryu City adds pickles to the list for the south end and places the wood and charcoal under the northern lean-to.
Why It Was Registered
The Storage Shed was listed for its contribution to the historic landscape of the nation. In a weaving house the eye goes to the factory and the storehouses, but this building served the people who worked there.
The mill had a dormitory. Papers record that in 1944 the dormitory was handed over along with the factory and kettle house. Feeding live-in staff meant keeping miso, soy sauce and pickles in bulk, and the wood and charcoal at the north end would have gone into cooking, heating and possibly the kettle house fires.
Gunma Prefecture's Japan Heritage account notes that skilled women workers were central at Goto, weaving obi fabric and other cloth. The Goto Textile Storage Shed held their food and their fuel, a reminder that a weaving house ran as a household as much as a business.
What to Look For
The Goto Textile Storage Shed traces the eastern edge of the property, bending as the boundary bends. Sixteen ken long and one ken deep, it is an unusually slender building, and its plan makes it obvious that it was shaped to fit the plot.
Look up at the roof. A maneki-yane stretches one side of the gable far longer than the other, which suits a narrow building that needs deep eaves along one face. Together with the lean-to on the west, it creates sheltered space for stacking goods and firewood.
Walk its length and the division of roles makes sense. The food store at the south end is close to the Main House and the Warehouse; the fuel store at the north end lies toward the back of the factory. Things were kept near where they were used.
Visiting
The Storage Shed is at the far east of the site, beside the Factory. On a reserved tour you will probably see its long profile from outside as you walk round the weaving shed, but confirm the route when you book, along with photography.
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 Storage Shed
- [ Kusatsu Onsen & Tomioka Silk Mill Heritage Tours ]
Q&A
- What was kept in the Goto Textile Storage Shed?
- Food for the workforce such as miso, soy sauce and pickles in the southern half, and firewood and charcoal in the northern half.
- When was the Goto Textile Storage Shed built?
- Around 1925. The house plan of that year already shows a shed along the eastern fence, just as it stands today.
- Why is the Goto Textile Storage Shed bent?
- It follows the eastern boundary of the site. Its plan, 16 ken long and 1 ken deep, bends partway along to match the property line.
- Can I see the Goto Textile Storage Shed?
- You may be able to see it from outside on a reserved tour of Goto Textile Mill. Confirm the tour route and photography rules when you book.
- What kind of roof does the Goto Textile Storage Shed have?
- A maneki-yane, a gable with one slope much longer than the other, which gives a narrow building deep eaves along one side.
Basic Information
| Name | Goto Textile Storage Shed (後藤織物物置) |
|---|---|
| Location | 730 Higashi 1-chome, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), registration no. 10-0168 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/3/27 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey, sheet-iron roof, building area 55 square metres |
| Owner | Texte Kiryu Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Open by advance reservation (weekdays) |
References
- Cultural Heritage Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs: 後藤織物物置 (Goto Textile Storage Shed)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005419
- 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
