Concrete Among the Timber
The Goto Textile Water Tower (後藤織物給水塔, Gotō Orimono Kyūsuitō) is a reinforced-concrete tank tower built around 1933 in Higashi 1-chome, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, to store water for dyeing, and was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 27, 2006. It stands northwest of the Well House, tight against the southwest corner of the Factory.
Four reinforced-concrete columns on a footprint 3 metres on each side carry a concrete tank 2 metres in diameter and 1 metre deep. The whole structure is 5.7 metres tall.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs presents the Goto Textile Water Tower as evidence of the factory's modernisation. Oddly, it is the only one of the 11 listings whose owner field is blank in the national database.
Why It Was Registered
The tower was listed for its contribution to the historic landscape of the nation. It is the only reinforced-concrete structure among the Goto buildings, a single piece of early Showa engineering standing among timber sheds and houses, and it makes the modernisation of the site easy to see.
It makes most sense read alongside the Well House. Kiryu opened its public waterworks in 1932, with mains reaching this district, but dyeing uses so much water that the mill built a tower to store well water instead, Kiryu City believes. The pump was reportedly driven by belt and pulley from the factory motor. Well, tower and factory power formed one connected system.
Kiryu City also records a tradition that a second tower once stood beside this one. Only one survives, but the story suggests that at some point the mill needed two tanks' worth of water.
What to Look For
The tower hugs the corner of the factory. Four square columns lifting a tank is as simple as structure gets, yet against the timber wall behind, the mass of the concrete stands out sharply.
The tank on top is a cylinder 2 metres across, set on a square frame. Square below, round above: the form follows the job exactly.
The figures vary by source. The Agency for Cultural Affairs gives a height of 5.7 metres, while Kiryu City's survey puts the stand at about 2 metres high and the column spacing at about 3 metres, and the city's building list gives 5.7 square metres as an area. Stand at the base and judge the height for yourself.
Visiting
The Goto Textile Water Tower is at the southwest corner of the Factory; on a reserved tour, carry on past the Well House behind the Main House and it comes into view. Do not climb or lean on the structure; look up at it from the ground. Ask about photography when you book.
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 Water Tower
- [ Kusatsu Onsen & Tomioka Silk Mill Heritage Tours ]
Q&A
- What was the Goto Textile Water Tower for?
- Storing water for dyeing. Water pumped from the well was held in the tank at the top.
- How big is the Goto Textile Water Tower?
- The national record gives a base 3 metres on each side and a height of 5.7 metres, topped by a tank 2 metres across and 1 metre deep.
- How was water raised into the Goto Textile Water Tower?
- According to Kiryu City, the pump was driven by belt and pulley from the factory motor.
- When was the Goto Textile Water Tower built?
- Around 1933, roughly a year after Kiryu opened its public waterworks in 1932.
- Was there ever more than one Goto Textile Water Tower?
- Kiryu City records a tradition that a second tower once stood beside it. Only this one survives.
Basic Information
| Name | Goto Textile Water Tower (後藤織物給水塔) |
|---|---|
| Location | 730 Higashi 1-chome, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), registration no. 10-0166 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/3/27 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Reinforced concrete, height 5.7 metres |
| Owner | Not listed (owner field blank in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Open by advance reservation (weekdays) |
References
- Cultural Heritage Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs: 後藤織物給水塔 (Goto Textile Water Tower)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005417
- Goto Orimono (Kiryu City official website, Japanese)
- https://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/kankou/bunkazai/1010700/kunitouroku/1007533.html
- Goto Orimono: Gate, Main House, Inner Room, Well House, Water Tower (Kiryu City, PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/_res/projects/default_project/_page_/001/007/533/01goto-pdf.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.24
