Textile Museum Yukari

Textile Museum Yukari offers tours and hands-on workshops. It was founded in 1878 and is currently run by Morihide Orimono (ltd). They have on display over 1,200 precious materials having to do with the history and culture of textiles.

Kiryu textiles are one of the leading products produced in Kiryu. With over 1,000 years of history, it was recognized as a traditional craft in 1977. They have a soft texture and luster to them, and its main merit is that it is widely loved for its use in everything from high quality kimonos, neckties, scarfs, and other accessories.

Textile Museum Yukari uses a building that had been used as a Kiryu textile factory up to 1975, and it was registered as a national tangible cultural property in 2006.

Before going inside, pay attention to the roof that is referred to as a "saw roof." The building looks essentially the same as when it was constructed, and this is a structure that is particularly noteworthy even in Kiryu, so it's a must-see.

The manually powered looms capture your attention in the spacious interior. They have a large variety of looms, from primitive machines to modern machines that had been used up until recently. For example, the jumbo treadle-operated loom that stands out with its size is 3.2 meters in width, 5.5 meters in length, and 2 meters tall. This is the largest manually powered loom among the treadle-operated looms that exist in Japan. This offers a truly valuable experience to be able to see such rare looms up close.

If you want, you can even use these looms yourself, so if you would like to have a hands-on experience for free, try asking one of the museum attendants. If you would like to create something like a coaster, a reservation is required in advance. The fee changes depending on what you will be making, so check this when making a reservation. There also is an indigo dye workshop that you can also try out if you are interested in dyeing (a reservation is required in advance).

Morihide Orimono's factory is located on the same site, and you can take a tour to see modern looms that automatically weave textiles. At the nearby museum shop, they sell all kinds of Kiryu textiles, so try to find something you like to commemorate your visit to the museum!