Tomioka Silk Mill 富岡製糸場

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Today I gave my final presentation for the IUC, a 15 minute public presentation in Japanese on the research project I've been working on for the past three months.

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Above and below are two examples of the late 19th century images that I examined for my project.

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The abstract of my paper that appeared in the program for the final presentations:

明治時代日本女性は社会で新しい役割を務め、産業界にも活動的な 生産者として参加しました。しかし、同時に女性は基本的な政治権力と自由は否定されていました。この発表では富岡製糸場を取りあげ明治時代女性のイメージがどのように１８７０年代と１８８０年代の社会の価値観を映しているか見ていきます。
富岡製糸場のイメージとして富岡の技術を称えた錦絵や富岡に昭憲皇太后の富岡行啓を描いた日本画があります。明治時代の文化コンテクストの中で富岡製糸場を題材とした視覚資料を調査することによってこの発表には明治政府が女性の役割をどう考えていたかを示します。

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And in English:
During the early Meiji period Japanese women assumed new societal roles and acted as active producers in Japan’s rapidly developing industrial economy, yet they were simultaneously denied basic political freedoms and rights. Using the Tomioka Silk Mill as a point of departure, this paper examines how images of Meiji women reflected Japanese societal values and concerns of the 1870s and 1880s.
Images of the Tomioka Silk Mill range from multi-color woodblock prints that celebrate the technological achievements of the mill to softly painted Nihonga representing the Meiji Empress’ visit to the site. By investigating the breadth of visual material referencing the Tomioka Silk Mill in the cultural context of the late nineteenth century this paper will shed light on Meiji period women’s roles as they were condoned and promoted by the government.

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As part of my research, a few weeks ago I took a day trip out to the Tomioka Silk Mill in Gunma prefecture, about three hours away by local train.
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The train from Takasaki to Tomioka was a true inaka (rural) train, departing once an hour. Tickets were stamped by hand, not machine. I purchased the combination train and site visit ticket.

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The slow and rickety train to Tomioka.

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The walking route from the Tomioka train station to the silk mill was marked by a green line along the road with occasional signs indicating the distance to the mill.

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The entry gate to the mill.

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Above and below are photos of the silk spinning building, where thread was taken from the silk cocoons after dipping them into hot water to kill the worm. These weren't the original 19th century machines, but I'm not sure when they date from. The factory was in operation until about 1985, so they were from sometime in the 20th century.
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The building where the cocoons were processed and sorted. The architectural style is a combination of traditional Japanese methods in the wood framing, and 19th century European methods in the brick construction.

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The mill was run by the Japanese government from 1873 to 1893 with assistance from overseas workers. Paul Brunat, the first foreign manager, lived in this house. The conditions experienced by the teenage women who worked at the mill were considerably less luxurious.

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The view from the cliff that the silk mill sits atop.

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Back at Tomioka Station, 125.2 km to Tokyo Station, 20.2 km to Takasaki Station.

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The newspaper stand at the station was on the honor system.

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Catching the train back to Takasaki.

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