Silky smooth (Gunma Prefecture 1 of 3)

At some point my husband decided enough was enough. We needed a break, an escape of sorts. In order to really get away from it all, he rented a car and planned a trip to Gunma Prefecture.

Due to our son's ballet rehearsal schedule, we couldn't make it into an overnight trip. But a day trip had the possibility of giving us a bit of escape from our reality while simultaneously recharging our batteries.

He, of course, had several activities on the agenda, but I was probably most interested in the World Heritage Site known as Tomioka Silk Mill. I am very fond of visiting places that have earned the rank of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as it gives me a glimpse into history that is still felt today.

Tomioka Silk Mill was a government-operated silk-reeling mill from 1872 to 1987. During the 115 years of operation, it revolutionized the mass production of raw silk. When they first opened the doors to the mill, the workers used silk reeling machines imported from France. Over time, technology developed and following World War II automatic reeling-machines were introduced.

The grounds have been preserved and restored with great effort over the past 15 years. We were able to go into only a couple of the buildings, including the East Cocoon Warehouse (which has gift shops and a few museum-like exhibits) and Silk-Reeling Plant. We were intrigued to see the 1960's style automatic reeling machines inside the plant.

The West Cocoon Warehouse recently opened to visited after 6 years of conservation work. The museum inside this warehouse was the highlight of our tour. It told interesting facts about the employees and life inside the walls of the factory. I am always most impacted by hearing true stories about the people who lived before us and this museum fulfilled that inclination.

Women between the ages of 15 and 25 made up the majority of the 300 employee workforce. Men only held managerial positions. The ladies lived in dorm-like housing on the grounds of the mill. The work/life balance of these women changed drastically over the years, as the laws regarding the treatment of factory workers evolved. I was shocked to learn that at one point the women worked 12 hour shifts, receiving only 2 days off per month! Later, employees only worked 8 hours a day for 5 days a week. The 12-hour/day workers worked almost twice as many hours per month as the 8-hour/day workers!

Silk has always been an important product in Japan. From kimono to purses to handcrafts, the fabric is seen everywhere here. Beyond the actual product, it was interesting to learn about the industrialization of the silk mill as well as imagine how people lived and worked at the mill.

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Stay tuned for more interesting sites we saw in Gunma!