Kiryu Textile Hall Old Building

Kiryu Textile Hall Former Building: A Symbol of Japan's Silk Weaving Capital

In the heart of Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, stands a stately two-story building that has witnessed nearly a century of Japan's textile history. The Kiryu Textile Hall Former Building (桐生織物会館旧館, Kiryu Orimono Kaikan Kyūkan), completed in 1934, is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property that embodies the prosperity and pride of one of Japan's greatest silk weaving centers. Known today as the Kiryu Textile Memorial Hall (桐生織物記念館), this retro-modern landmark invites visitors to explore the rich legacy of Kiryu textiles — a tradition spanning over 1,300 years.

The History of Kiryu: Japan's "City of Weaving"

Kiryu has been synonymous with fine textiles since antiquity. Historical records in the Shoku Nihongi (続日本紀), an eighth-century chronicle, document that silk fabrics were presented as tribute to the Imperial Court from this region as early as 714 CE. By the Edo period, Kiryu silk had gained such renown that a Japanese proverb emerged: "Nishijin in the west, Kiryu in the east" (西の西陣、東の桐生), placing Kiryu alongside Kyoto's famed Nishijin district as one of Japan's two greatest silk-producing regions.

The city earned the distinguished epithet "Shokuto" (織都), meaning "City of Weaving," reflecting its central role in Japanese textile production. Following the Meiji Restoration, Kiryu rapidly modernized its textile industry by introducing sawtooth-roof factories and adopting electric power. The city became home to numerous large-scale mills, establishing itself as one of Japan's leading textile industrial zones.

By the early Showa era, Kiryu's textile industry had recovered swiftly from the global economic depression of the late 1920s, reaching its zenith around 1935. This boom was fueled by aggressive expansion into export markets, the development of new products such as rayon and silk Western-style fabrics, and innovative advertising campaigns. It was at this peak of prosperity that the Kiryu Textile Hall was constructed — a grand edifice symbolizing the industry's confidence and ambition.

Architectural Features and Cultural Significance

The Kiryu Textile Hall Former Building was designed by the Gunma Prefectural Civil Engineering Division's architectural section and completed in October 1934 as the headquarters of the Kiryu Textile Weavers' Association (桐生織物同業組合). The building is a wooden two-story structure with a total floor area of approximately 833 square meters, crowned with distinctive blue-green Japanese-Western hybrid roof tiles.

The exterior is clad in scratch tiles (スクラッチタイル), a fashionable architectural finish of the era that gives the building its characteristic textured appearance. The second floor features elegant stained glass windows in the former grand assembly hall, adding a refined Western-style aesthetic to the structure. The building's tall, imposing two-story form — with an upper-floor assembly hall — follows a design pattern commonly used for government offices and industrial headquarters from the late Meiji period onward.

This building served as the nerve center of Kiryu's textile industry, housing the offices of various textile-related cooperatives. Its architectural style proved so popular among local residents that similar scratch-tile buildings proliferated throughout the surrounding area, many of which can still be seen today. The building was registered as a Tangible Cultural Property by the national government in May 1997, recognized as an excellent example of a Showa-era industrial management office.

Why It Was Designated a Cultural Property

The Kiryu Textile Hall Former Building received its designation as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (登録有形文化財) for several compelling reasons. As a well-preserved example of early Showa-period Western-style architecture, the building demonstrates the sophisticated design sensibilities of Japan's pre-war modernization era. The combination of scratch-tile cladding, blue-green roof tiles, and stained glass windows represents a distinctive fusion of Japanese and Western architectural elements characteristic of the period.

Beyond its architectural merit, the building holds profound historical significance as the operational headquarters of Kiryu's textile industry during its golden age. It stands as a tangible witness to the economic vitality that made Kiryu one of Japan's most important textile centers. In 2007, it was also recognized as a Heritage of Industrial Modernization (近代化産業遺産) by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Furthermore, in 2015, it became a component cultural property of the Japan Heritage story "Kakaa Denka: The Silk Story of Gunma" (かかあ天下 ―ぐんまの絹物語―), which celebrates the vital role women played in Gunma's silk industry.

Highlights and What to See

First Floor: Textile Shop

The ground floor operates as a textile products sales area known as the "Orisho no Ma" (織匠の間, Hall of Master Weavers). Here, visitors can purchase authentic Kiryu textile products at factory-direct prices, including silk neckties, scarves, fabric accessories, kimono fabrics, and various craft items. The neckties, in particular, are renowned for their exceptional quality — comparable to department store products costing two to three times more. An antique Jacquard hand loom is displayed as a centerpiece, offering a glimpse into the technology that revolutionized Kiryu's textile production.

Second Floor: Exhibition Hall

The upper floor houses the Textile Materials Exhibition Room, where visitors can explore Kiryu's weaving heritage through displays of historical looms, weaving tools, textile samples, and informative panels. Video presentations offer additional context about production techniques and the region's textile history. Visitors can even try their hand at weaving on a traditional hand loom — a memorable hands-on experience. The room's original stained glass windows beautifully illuminate the exhibition space.

The Building Itself

The retro-modern exterior and historic interior spaces have made the building a popular location for film and television productions. The distinctive scratch-tile walls, the grand proportions of the assembly hall, and the period architectural details create an atmospheric setting that transports visitors back to pre-war Japan. Architecture enthusiasts will appreciate the building's role in defining the aesthetic character of Kiryu's townscape.

Surrounding Attractions

Kiryu offers a wealth of cultural heritage sites that complement a visit to the Textile Memorial Hall. The following destinations are all within easy reach:

• Yurinkan (有鄰館): A collection of eleven historic storehouses dating from the Edo to early Showa periods, originally used for brewing sake, miso, and soy sauce. Now a designated Important Cultural Property of Kiryu City, it serves as a multipurpose cultural venue for exhibitions, concerts, and events. Located along Honcho-dori street within the Kiryu Shinmachi Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.
• Kinunen Museum / Silk Twist Memorial Hall (絹撚記念館): A striking brick building that once served as the office of a model silk-twisting factory. Now a Heritage of Industrial Modernization, it hosts exhibitions about Kiryu's designated traditional building district and silk heritage.
• Textile Museum Yukari (織物参考館"紫"): A larger hands-on textile museum where visitors can observe working Jacquard looms, try dyeing experiences, and see the silk-unwinding process demonstrated from actual cocoons.
• Kiryu Shinmachi Important Preservation District: A nationally designated historic district preserving the townscape of merchant houses, earthen storehouses, and sawtooth-roof factories from the Edo through early Showa periods. Strolling these streets reveals cafés, galleries, and shops housed in beautifully restored historic buildings.
• Nishi-Kiryu Station (西桐生駅): The Jomo Electric Railway's charming Art Deco terminus, itself a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, is just a three-minute walk from the memorial hall.