A Sawtooth Shed That Grew Northward After the War
The Morihide Textiles Former Factory (森秀織物旧工場, Morihide Orimono Kyū Kōjō) is a single-story timber sawtooth weaving shed built in 1946 and extended around 1952, standing near the west edge and roughly midway along the Morihide Textiles site in Higashi, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 3, 2006.
The national record gives 16 meters by 23 meters and a building area of 582 square meters, the largest of the fifteen Morihide registrations. The sawtooth roof is clad in sheet metal; the Agency for Cultural Affairs lists three bays and says the southern bay is the oldest. Only two of the fifteen buildings are postwar: the Morihide Textiles Former Factory and the Morishima West Storehouse.
It is registration number 10-0179. Today it is the exhibition room of the Orimono Sankokan Yukari museum, filled with looms and other weaving material.
How the Former Factory Was Extended
Kiryu City describes the Morihide Textiles Former Factory as a four-bay sawtooth shed joined to the north side of the Former Warping Shed. The southern bay was recorded in August 1946, the middle bays were added from around 1952 into the early 1960s, and the northern bay lies outside the registration. The three bays in the Agency's record appear to be the registered southern part.
During the war, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry named Morihide a preserver of weaving skills, so its looms escaped being requisitioned for scrap. That let the firm restart production quickly, and the shed's growth bay by bay from 1946 traces its rise toward a peak from the late 1950s.
It was registered under the criterion for buildings that contribute to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency credits the Morihide Textiles Former Factory with forming part of the scenery of Kiryu's textile mills.
What to Look For
Once inside, look up. The roof frame is a truss, but a free-standing post stands in the middle of each bay to reinforce it. A beam runs north to south over the central posts, with more beams on either side, carrying a wide floor with few supports.
Then find the pulleys on the western beams. Kiryu City notes that the wheels that once transmitted power to the looms are still in place, a reminder of the days when overhead shafts drove the looms through leather belts.
Notice the north-facing roof lights and the quality of the light they give. The west wall is concrete and doubles as the boundary wall of the site.
Visiting the Former Factory
The Morihide Textiles Former Factory is open as the exhibition room of the Orimono Sankokan Yukari museum, and admission lets you walk through it. The museum holds more than 1,200 items, including looms and tools. Hours and admission are on the Morihide Textiles page; ask at reception about photography.
Q&A
- When was the Morihide Textiles Former Factory built and registered?
- It was built in 1946 and extended around 1952. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 3, 2006, under registration number 10-0179.
- Does the Morihide Textiles Former Factory have three or four sawtooth bays?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs records three. Kiryu City counts four, including a northern bay that is outside the registration.
- Can I go inside the Morihide Textiles Former Factory?
- Yes. It is the exhibition room of the Orimono Sankokan Yukari museum and can be visited with museum admission.
- What should I look for in the Morihide Textiles Former Factory?
- The free-standing posts and beams in the middle of each bay, the loom-drive pulleys left on the western beams, and the north-facing roof lights.
- How large is the Morihide Textiles Former Factory?
- The national record gives a single-story timber building of 16 meters by 23 meters, 582 square meters, the largest of the fifteen Morihide buildings.
Basic Information
| Name | Morihide Textiles Former Factory (森秀織物旧工場) |
|---|---|
| Location | 4-2-24 Higashi, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2006 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-story timber, sheet-metal roof, building area 582 m², 16 m × 23 m |
| Owner | Morihide Orimono Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Open as the exhibition room of the Orimono Sankokan Yukari museum (admission charged) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Morihide Textiles Former Factory
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00005573
- Kiryu City: Morihide Textiles Factory (Japanese)
- https://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/kankou/bunkazai/1010700/kunitouroku/1002000.html
- Kiryu City: Morihide Textiles Factory and Orimono Sankokan Yukari, explanatory sheet (Japanese, PDF)
- https://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/_res/projects/default_project/_page_/001/002/000/yukari-2.pdf
- Kiryu City: Orimono Sankokan Yukari (Japanese)
- https://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/kankou/spot/kiryu/1001866.html
Last verified: 2026.10.06
