A Yarn-Twisting Room Along the East Fence
The Morihide Textiles Former Twisting Mill (森秀織物旧撚糸場, Morihide Orimono Kyū Nenshijō) is a single-story timber twisting room from around 1924, standing south of the Former Dormitory No. 2 on the north side of the Morihide Textiles site in Higashi, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 3, 2006.
Twisting gives yarn its strength and feel. Omeshi silk depends on hard-twisted weft to raise its crinkled surface, so the twisting room largely decided the quality of the cloth. The national record gives the Morihide Textiles Former Twisting Mill as 16.9 meters by 7.5 meters, 127 square meters, under a gabled tile roof on a truss.
It is registration number 10-0177. Today the interior is divided in the middle: the north half is a study room for the Orimono Sankokan Yukari museum, and the south half is a store.
Why the Former Twisting Mill Was Registered
The Morihide Textiles Former Twisting Mill was registered under the criterion for buildings that contribute to the historic landscape of the country, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs credits it with shaping the factory scene.
Kiryu City remarks that its wooden window lattices give it the feel of a working mill. Set long and narrow against the east fence, facing the Former Factory across the central path, it helps the site read as a weaving compound.
What to Look For
Study the west front. Wooden lattice windows run along it, with a doorway at each end, north and south, so the working face of the room turns toward the path while traffic enters at the ends.
The outside is clad in overlapping weatherboards, which Kiryu City describes as the Nankin style, while the inside walls are white plaster, bright against the timber exterior. The truss once spanned a single open room, which is why a partition now splits it into study room and store.
Visiting the Former Twisting Mill
The north half of the Morihide Textiles Former Twisting Mill is the museum's study room. Inside the museum you can see the exterior up close from the path, but the study room is used for workshops and classes, so ask at reception if you can go in. The store in the south half is closed. Hours and admission are on the Morihide Textiles page.
Q&A
- When was the Morihide Textiles Former Twisting Mill built and registered?
- It was built around 1924 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 3, 2006, under registration number 10-0177.
- What was done in the Morihide Textiles Former Twisting Mill?
- Yarn was twisted here. Omeshi silk uses hard-twisted weft to create its crinkled texture, so twisting was a key step for quality.
- What are the features of the Morihide Textiles Former Twisting Mill exterior?
- Wooden lattice windows line the west front, with doorways at both ends. The outer walls are weatherboarded and the inner walls plastered.
- How is the Morihide Textiles Former Twisting Mill used today?
- A partition divides it: the north half is the museum's study room and the south half a store.
- How large is the Morihide Textiles Former Twisting Mill?
- It is a single-story timber building of 16.9 meters by 7.5 meters, 127 square meters, with a gabled tile roof.
Basic Information
| Name | Morihide Textiles Former Twisting Mill (森秀織物旧撚糸場) |
|---|---|
| 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, tile roof, building area 127 m², 16.9 m × 7.5 m |
| Owner | Morihide Orimono Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Open as the study room (north half) of the Orimono Sankokan Yukari museum (admission charged) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Morihide Textiles Former Twisting Mill
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00005571
- 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
