Tomioka silkpromotion organization

In June 2014, “Tomioka silk mill and associated sites” was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Silk production, once a key industry in Japan,
faces a difficult situation where it represents less than 1% of the national market.
"If the production of cocoons in Tomioka were to disappear,
wouldn't the registration of Tomioka silk mill on the UNESCO list lose its meaning? "
It is based on this problematic that in May 2008, the association for the promotion of Tomioka silk was
founded with the objective of transmitting the sericulture know-how of Tomioka to future generations.
Helped by the "support group for cooperation in the field of silk industry", created in 2007 in Japan,
the association has worked to develop 100% made in Japan silk products based on
strengthening the cooperation between the different players in the silk production chain,
upstream from silkworms to silk mills, and downstream from manufacturers to distributors.
On July 1, 2021, the association became the Tomioka silk promotion organization,
with the same mission of preserving the silk culture of Tomioka.

Towards a revival of Japanese silk

The starting point for the development of the Japanese silk industry dates back to 1872, when Tomioka silk mill was built in Tomioka, where sericulture was flourishing. Tomioka is thus the cradle of the “made in Japan”.
For us, the revival of Japanese silk is the city's mission. This is why we make every effort to promote Tomioka silk brand.
Our vision for the future is to resume reeling activities within Tomioka silk mill itself.

A human-sized production

Silkworms in Tomioka are raised 5 times a year, in spring, summer, early and late autumn, and early winter.
Even now, silk farmers continue to call the worms with the affectionate and respectful expression "oko-sama" (“beloved silkworms”), raising them as members of the family.
The cocoons produced in Tomioka are stored in a warehouse, then undergo our quality control, before being unwound in the silk mill of Usui (town of Annaka, in Gunma prefecture) on state-of-the-art type 6A reeling machines, among the best in the world.
We work to produce 100% made in Japan silk products with exemplary traceability.

A Japanese brand to seduce the world

Just as the raw silk of the Tomioka silk mill, known as “Japanese silk”, once fascinated the world, we aim to make the current “Tomioka silk” a global brand.
When we exhibited our products at the Lyon Silk Market in France, a country whose history is linked to that of Tomioka silk mill, many visitors stopped to contemplate and touch our products, praising their great quality.
"From traditional manufacture to innovative manufacture": focusing on quality rather than quantity, we combine our ideas and knowledge in order to improve Tomioka silk brand reputation in Japan and abroad.

Tomioka silk brand

We issue the "Tomioka silk” trademark to products made from Tomioka cocoons.
We guarantee the exemplary traceability of our products, and work on the promotion of the brand as a human-sized national production.
Our original products as well as the products of members of the association are on sale in the Silk Gallery, located in the East cocoon warehouse of Tomioka silk mill, and are available on our online shop.

Online shop Tomioka silk brand