A Brick Cotton Store of Toyobo's Largest Mill
The Former Toyobo Tomida Mill Raw Cotton Warehouse (旧東洋紡績株式会社富田工場原綿倉庫) is a single-storey brick warehouse built in 1917 to store raw cotton for the Tomida mill of Toyo Boseki (Toyobo) at Tomisuhara-cho, Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on April 28, 2000. The mill site is now a large shopping centre, and only the warehouse survives (Yokkaichi City).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as a single-storey brick building with a tiled roof and a building area of 1,072 square metres; registration number 24-0024. It is owned by Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking and managed by Aeon (Yokkaichi City).
Toyobo's Largest Mill
According to the Shibusawa Eiichi Memorial Foundation, Ito Denshichi of Yokkaichi founded Mie Spinning in 1886 with Shibusawa's support, and in 1914 it merged with Osaka Spinning to form Toyo Boseki.
According to Yokkaichi City, the Tomida mill grew from its first factory of 1918 to include a sewing-thread mill, raw cotton warehouse, offices, a school, an auditorium, company housing and dormitories by 1934; its site of about 200,000 square metres seems to have been the largest of all Toyobo's plants. The warehouse held unprocessed raw cotton.
Why It Was Registered
The Former Toyobo Tomida Mill Raw Cotton Warehouse was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as the raw cotton warehouse of the largest of Toyobo's mills.
What to Look For
The Former Toyobo Tomida Mill Raw Cotton Warehouse presents five gable ends in a row along the south-east edge of the site. It consists of five gabled store rooms, each about 18 by 9 metres, joined as one, with buttresses at key points around the brick walls (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
According to Yokkaichi City, the roof has timber trusses and cement tiles on brick strip foundations, with ventilation windows above the entrances. Inside, the brick side walls were once protected by a timber grid; today the interior has been remodelled for restaurants.
Getting There
The Former Toyobo Tomida Mill Raw Cotton Warehouse stands in a corner of the shopping centre at Tomisuhara-cho, Yokkaichi City, and houses restaurants (Yokkaichi City). The exterior can be seen from the shopping centre grounds; check individual shops for opening hours.
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Q&A
- When was the Former Toyobo Tomida Mill Raw Cotton Warehouse built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs gives 1917; Yokkaichi City gives 1918.
- What was stored in the warehouse?
- Unprocessed raw cotton (Yokkaichi City).
- What does the Former Toyobo Tomida Mill Raw Cotton Warehouse look like?
- Five gabled store rooms joined as one, with five gable ends in a row and buttressed brick walls (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How is the warehouse used today?
- It stands in a shopping centre and has been remodelled for restaurants (Yokkaichi City).
- When was the Former Toyobo Tomida Mill Raw Cotton Warehouse registered?
- On April 28, 2000.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Toyobo Tomida Mill Raw Cotton Warehouse (旧東洋紡績株式会社富田工場原綿倉庫) |
|---|---|
| Location | 221-2 Tomisuhara-cho, Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2000/4/28 (Heisei 12) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Brick, single storey, tiled roof, building area 1,072 square metres |
| Owner | Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking (managed by Aeon) |
| Public Access | Restaurants within a shopping centre; exterior viewable |
References
- Former Toyobo Tomida Mill Raw Cotton Warehouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00001712
- Former Toyobo Tomida Mill Raw Cotton Warehouse (Yokkaichi City)
- https://www.city.yokkaichi.lg.jp/www/contents/1001000002609/index.html
- Mie Spinning Company (Shibusawa Eiichi Memorial Foundation)
- https://www.shibusawa.or.jp/eiichi/yukarinochi/topic/J-0143.html
Last verified: 2026.10.10