It’s satisfying being positively surprised by a site, like we did on one of this lesser-known sub site of Tomioka Silk Mill!

According to our Japan quest of July 2023 we were going to visit Tomioka round halfway in our Honshu train crossing from northeast to southwest. But as the weather forecast didn’t agree, we skipped the site and went for nicer weather further southwest. Thus, this site was visited on our last full day in Japan as a day trip from Tokio. Our Japan Rail Pass took us easily to Takasaki. We considered using the non-JRP railway to Tomioka, but since we were two and we wanted to visit all the four sites we chose a rental car. We were certain that six hours with a car would be sufficient for the task, but … we were so wrong.

We started by aiming for the easternmost sub site first, the Tajima Yahei Sericulture Farm.

To our knowledge this would be pretty much a “closed site” and we would have to settle for some distant outdoor pictures before we moved on. The trip was about 24 km’s, but it took almost an hour because of small and winding roads. Arriving at the site we followed the parking sign and found a not to big parking area (almost empty). A guard gave us instructions and then he spoke on a walkie-talkie. We walked the 100 m to the gate of this property and there we were welcomed by a local guide. Obviously, the guy at the parking lot had informed the personnel that there were foreign visitors arriving and the guide seemed thrilled! He spoke a somewhat broken English, but we understood most of it. Maybe he was stuttering by excitement by having guests all the way from Europe.

I seemed as this place was recently opened for visitors, so everything wasn’t “lined up” as it probably should, but their excitement made the day for us.

We started by looking at e short video. The guide very was sorry it was only in Japanese, but we got a folder with English explanations which made us understand. This site focused on silkworm production. The great-great-grandfather (or maybe more “greats”?) of today’s owner was the one going to Europe selling his silkworms and in return he learned how to do research on the worm’s diseases. He brought back amongst other things a microscope for the purpose.

The guide takes us for tour of the premises, but he was sorry he couldn’t show us the main house. It’s a private property and the owner still lives there, but he can show us the house next door which is a similar house. The guide rings the doorbell and after a small discussion in Japanese we were invited in.  We were taken to the first floor where a kind of private silkworm equipment museum resided. It wasn’t very well organised, but again – the excitement of the owner and the stories they managed to tell – still in broken English – made this a very special experience.

For this service we gladly would pay - a tip of some kind, but the guide (the first one) told us he already has paid him, so ok – that’s fine! In retrospect – we didn’t even pay any entrance fee at all!? Maybe they forgot in all their excitement? Instead of a short 5-minute stop this took approximately an hour.

The next sub-site, Takayama-sha Sericulture School, is just 25 km’s away, but it’s a 40-minute drive. This site looks nice, at first. It’s eye-catching large gate, outside there is a UNESCO plaque and they charge admission fee. Once inside – there is very little to see. It’s some ruins and there is supposed to be an old school building, but it’s disassembled and placed under a blue tarpaulin. Maybe we saved enough time on this site so we still could see all four?

Yet another 25 km’s and 30 minutes we arrived at then main site, the Silk Mill. This site is larger and thus more time-consuming, so it was obvious that we had to skip then forth site, the Arafune Cold Storage to be able to return the rental car within our 6-hour limit.

The Silk Mill has been properly described by other reviewers, but it seems there are more buildings available (since last review in 2020) and they were still working on some more. The plaque is also present here – you will see it if you pass the dormitories.

We had a lunch break and then returned to Takasaki leaving the rental car 15 minutes too late, but nobody really cared.

### Randi & Svein Elias