Japan has been producing silk since around the third century, raising silkworms for the raw silk threads and then weaving those threads into cloth. Although it is not now regarded as a major silk producer, even as recently as a century ago, Japan was the world’s largest producer/exporter of raw silk, exporting predominately to the … Continue reading Silken Threads Tie Japan and France
Gunma Prefecture, some 100 kilometers north of Tokyo, has centuries of history as a silk producing area in Japan. One particular sign that you're in an area where silkworms were once raised are the rooftops of old farm houses, that have one or more raised sections along the ridgepole of the roof, a structure that … Continue reading Takayama-sha: developing the art and science of sericulture
A few months ago I visited the Niigata town of Tokamachi with the intention of attending a local festival. Alas, the festival was rained out and it seemed there wasn't much to do after checking out the intriguing sculptures on the high street. Fortunately, I found that Tokamachi has a wonderful city museum that proved … Continue reading Tokamachi City Museum – great on a rainy day, or when the sun shines
While sericulture was first developed in China about 4,500 years ago, Japan has also been producing silk since around the third century. Silk's heyday in Japan was during the Meiji Period (1868-1912), when it became one of Japan's first industrially mass-produced export products. The center of Japan's silk industry has long been Gunma Prefecture, which … Continue reading The Tomizawa Family Farmhouse – late 18th century “cottage industry”
Jigsaw Japan 