A Long Brick Shed with Stone-Framed Windows
The Tochisen Red Brick Saran Factory (トチセン（旧足利織物）赤レンガサラン工場) is a brick factory shed of 1913–1919 in Fukui-cho, Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on November 18, 1999 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey brick building with a tiled roof and a building area of 357 square metres; registration number 09-0022.
A Long Gabled Shed
The Tochisen Red Brick Saran Factory is a long shed with its ridge running east to west (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It is a gabled brick building, with a lean-to projecting from the east gable end.
Along the north side, windows framed in large blocks of stone stand close together (Agency for Cultural Affairs). On the eastern half of the north wall a second row of windows sits above them, so the building can look two-storeyed, but the upper row is a later addition.
According to Ashikaga City, it was built, like the printing factory, by the Ashikaga Orimono company, set up at the start of the Taisho era to weave cotton for export.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency picks out the closely spaced, stone-framed windows on the north side as the building's defining feature; it was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape.
Ashikaga City describes it, together with the printing factory, as the only large group of red brick factory buildings still standing in the town.
What to Look For
Look at the stone window frames on the north wall. They follow one another at close intervals along the red brick, so the wall reads as a band of windows more than as brickwork (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The upper windows on the eastern half of the north wall were added later (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Set them against the stone-framed openings below to see what the original windows were like. The lean-to on the east gable end completes the building's outline.
Visiting
Ashikaga City lists the Tochisen Red Brick Saran Factory as normally closed to the public. It stands inside the grounds of Tochisen Co., Ltd., and chances to go inside are limited.
Q&A
- When was the Tochisen Red Brick Saran Factory built?
- Between 1913 and 1919 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is distinctive about the Tochisen saran factory?
- The closely spaced windows framed in large stone blocks along its north side (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Is the Tochisen saran factory two storeys high?
- No, it is single-storey. Upper windows on part of the north wall make it look taller, but they were added later.
- Can I visit the Tochisen Red Brick Saran Factory?
- Ashikaga City lists it as normally closed to the public.
- When was the Tochisen Red Brick Saran Factory registered?
- On November 18, 1999 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Tochisen Red Brick Saran Factory (トチセン（旧足利織物）赤レンガサラン工場) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1151-1 Fukui-cho, Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture, and other locations |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 1999/11/18 (Heisei 11) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey brick, tiled roof, 357 m² |
| Owner | Tochisen Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Normally closed to the public (Ashikaga City) |
References
- Tochisen Red Brick Saran Factory (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00001407
- Tochisen Red Brick Textile Printing Factory and Saran Factory (Ashikaga City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.ashikaga.tochigi.jp/education/000029/000169/000627/p000942.html
Last verified: 2026.10.20
