A Brick Print Works under Six Sawtooth Roofs
The Tochisen Red Brick Textile Printing Factory (トチセン（旧足利織物）赤レンガ捺染工場) is a brick textile printing works 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 1,587 square metres; registration number 09-0021.
Brick Walls around a Timber Frame
The Tochisen Red Brick Textile Printing Factory is a vast single-storey shed whose brick outer walls enclose a timber frame (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Six ranks of sawtooth roof run across it, covering one broad working floor.
Textile printing means pressing dye into cloth through blocks or stencils to make a pattern. This is the largest of the three registered buildings on the Tochisen site, more than four times the floor area of the saran factory (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
According to Ashikaga City, it was built by the Ashikaga Orimono company, set up at the start of the Taisho era to weave cotton for export, and was the first modern industrial works in Ashikaga.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency singles out the gable walls, framed by pilasters that rise to the apex and by a heavy cornice, and the use of single stone lintels to span the large doorways and windows; it was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape.
Ashikaga City describes it, together with the saran factory, as the only large group of red brick factory buildings still standing in the town.
What to Look For
The gable walls are the thing to look at. Pilasters climb all the way to the apex and a heavy cornice traces the outline (Agency for Cultural Affairs), so each of the six sawtooth ends becomes part of the wall's rhythm.
Over the doors and windows, single stone lintels carry the wide openings (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Rather than a brick arch, one length of stone spans each gap; compare the width of the opening with the length of the stone.
Visiting
Ashikaga City lists the Tochisen Red Brick Textile Printing 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 Textile Printing Factory built?
- Between 1913 and 1919 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What kind of roof does the Tochisen printing factory have?
- Six ranks of sawtooth roof over brick walls and an inner timber frame (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What should I look for at the Tochisen printing factory?
- The gable walls framed by pilasters and a heavy cornice, and the single stone lintels over the openings.
- Can I visit the Tochisen Red Brick Textile Printing Factory?
- Ashikaga City lists it as normally closed to the public.
- When was the Tochisen Red Brick Textile Printing Factory registered?
- On November 18, 1999 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Tochisen Red Brick Textile Printing Factory (トチセン（旧足利織物）赤レンガ捺染工場) |
|---|---|
| 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, 1,587 m² |
| Owner | Tochisen Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Normally closed to the public (Ashikaga City) |
References
- Tochisen Red Brick Textile Printing Factory (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00001406
- 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
