A Mill Built for Power Looms
The Ae Handkerchief Former Factory (阿江ハンカチーフ旧工場, Ae Hankachīfu Kyū Kōjō) is a single-storey timber weaving shed built in 1911 at 593-3 Yasui, Shimotakino, Kato City, Hyogo Prefecture, and others, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on June 28, 2017. It has a sheet-metal roof and a building area of 451 square meters.
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the factory was built when the company introduced power looms, machines that throw the shuttle by engine power rather than by the weaver's hands and feet, and that made mass production of cloth possible. It was altered around 1987, but still conveys the look of the mill in its Meiji-era beginnings.
Of the six registered Ae Handkerchief buildings, the Ae Handkerchief Former Factory is by far the largest, with more than 40 percent of their combined floor area.
How the Factory Is Built
The Ae Handkerchief Former Factory was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape.
It faces west and measures 15 meters across the front by 29 meters deep. The Agency explains that these dimensions follow from the size of the looms, set one to every ken (about 1.8 meters). The plan of the building, in other words, was laid out around the machinery.
The roof is made of six parallel monopitch roofs. A Truss is set every half ken along the length to carry them, and the clerestory windows in the tall side of each pitch survive. The arrangement was presumably meant to bring steady light onto the weaving floor.
What to Look For at the Former Factory
The most striking thing about the Ae Handkerchief Former Factory is its roofline: six monopitch roofs in a row, each step lit by its own band of windows, so that from the side the profile rises and falls like the teeth of a saw.
Next, consider the proportions. At 15 meters wide and 29 deep, the Ae factory is deeper than it is wide. Read alongside the Agency's note that a loom stood every ken, the plan hints at how many machines once filled the floor.
The sheet-metal roofing belongs to the 1987 renovation. A Meiji structure and a late-Showa repair sit in the same building.
Visiting the Ae Handkerchief Former Factory
The Ae Handkerchief Former Factory stands on the western plot of the Ae Handkerchief premises, facing west, and how much of it can be seen from the road has not been confirmed. Ae Handkerchief is a working textile company, and no interior viewing of this building is advertised.
Please stay off the premises and view what you can from the road. Visiting conditions and directions are on the Ae Handkerchief page.
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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Ae Handkerchief Former Factory
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Q&A
- What is the Ae Handkerchief Former Factory?
- It is a single-storey timber weaving shed built in 1911 for the introduction of power looms. With a building area of 451 square meters, it is the largest of Ae Handkerchief's six registered buildings.
- When was the Ae Handkerchief Former Factory registered?
- It became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on June 28, 2017, as No. 28-0666, recognized as contributing to the historic landscape.
- What kind of roof does the Ae Handkerchief Former Factory have?
- Six monopitch roofs in a row, carried on trusses set every half ken, with clerestory windows still in place.
- Why is the Ae Handkerchief Former Factory shaped the way it is?
- It measures 15 by 29 meters, facing west. The Agency says the dimensions were set by the size of the looms, placed one to every ken.
- Can visitors see the Ae Handkerchief Former Factory?
- It belongs to an operating company and no interior viewing is advertised. How well it can be seen from the road has not been confirmed. To ask about a visit, contact Ae Handkerchief Co., Ltd. or the Kato City Board of Education's cultural properties section in advance.
Basic Information
| Name | Ae Handkerchief Former Factory (阿江ハンカチーフ旧工場) |
|---|---|
| Location | 593-3 Yasui, Shimotakino, Kato City, Hyogo Prefecture, and others |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), No. 28-0666 |
| Year Designated | Registered June 28, 2017 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, sheet-metal roof, building area 451 square meters (15 by 29 meters) |
| Owner | Ae Handkerchief Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Owned by an operating company; Kato City lists it as open but gives no dates or visiting method |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 阿江ハンカチーフ旧工場
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011779
- Cultural Heritage Online: 阿江ハンカチーフ旧工場
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/256415
- Kato City: 阿江ハンカチーフ旧工場 (Japanese)
- https://www.city.kato.lg.jp/kakukanogoannai/kyouikushinkoubu/shogaigakushuka/bunkazai/siteibunkazai/tourokuyuukeibunkazai/1545456480532.html
Last verified: 2026.09.30
