A new history woven in Okaya ShinshuSilk Story

The "Bird-eye View of Okaya City" created by Yoshida Hatsusaburo when the city was established in April 1936 shows how prosperity was at the time when silk mills lined up.

The silk industry was a core industry in the country from the end of the Edo period to the early Showa period. Since 1877, Nagano The prefecture has become the silk kingdom, which boasts the largest production volume of both cocoons and raw silk in Japan. One of the factors behind this is Nagano The prefecture was a suitable place for "sillicuria" to produce cocoons. During the Edo period, sericulture industry began mainly in the Ueda area, which was already one of the largest production areas in Japan, and in 1912, more than 60% of farmers in the prefecture carried out sericulture. Today, mulberry fields at that time were reborn as fruit fields such as apples and grapes, and today Nagano It is the foundation of prefectural agriculture.

Meanwhile, the Suwa and Okaya regions developed through the silk industry's "silver production." At its peak, about 30% of domestically produced silk were produced. Nagano Okaya City, produced in the prefecture and the largest producer, was called "Shito Okaya" in Japan and "SILK OKAYA" from overseas.

Director Takabayashi guides visitors around the building

"Without water, the silk industry would not be possible. There was a wealth of high quality water here," says Takabayashi Chiyuki, director of the Okaya Silk Museum. The 31 rivers that flow into Lake Suwa were able to obtain water to boil the cocoons, and the quality of the water was soft water that easily loosens the threads. Then, by hanging a large waterwheel on the Tenryu River, which was drained from Lake Suwa, we were able to obtain the power of the reeling machine.

Miyasaka Silk Mold is Japan's only silk mill, where traditional raw silk production methods remain.

In the early Showa era, there were 3,300 companies in Japan and 200 companies in the city alone, but now there are four companies (including 4 companies). Nagano Only two companies in the prefecture are left. One of them is Miyasaka Silk Medicine, which was founded in 1928 and is now located inside the Okaya Silk Museum.

Chairman Miyasaka says he wants to take on new challenges while inheriting silk-making machines and techniques.

"If you look at the world, the demand for silk has not decreased. There are many possibilities and I think it will expand even more," says Miyasaka Teruhiko, the second-generation chairman. Many of the silk mills on Lake Suwa have transformed into precision machinery industries, but the spirit of manufacturing cultivated in the silk industry remains today. Nagano It continues to lead the prefecture's industry.

Okaya Silk Workshop produces silk products with a unique texture, hand-dyed and hand-woven.

At the former Yamaichibayashi Corporation Silk Office, a nationally registered tangible cultural property and a romance of Taisho, members of Okaya Silk Studio are working to inherit and evolve the tradition of silk fabrics. And this year, original products unique to Okaya Kinu Kobo will be born.

(Left) Products that make use of the high level of weaving techniques and rich expression are attracting attention.
(Right) Furoshiki during the prototype stage, such as pattern and thickness.

"It is important to have them used on a daily basis, and the texture of silk will make you more fond of silk because of its feel to the touch, its sturdyness, and its worn-out texture. I want to convey the charm of silk more from Okaya. I want to come to Okaya to feel the charm of silk more. I want to create a new silk culture from Okaya."

Okaya Silk's pervert is just beginning.