The silk industry, once one of Japan’s major industries that once contributed to Japan’s foreign exchange earnings and modernization, is now emerging from the brink of collapse. In the second half of the 1920s, there were approximately 2.2 million sericulture households in Japan. According to government statistics, there were only 1,200 sericulture households in 2007. The annual output of raw silk peaked at more than 40,000 tons, and is now slightly higher at about 100 tons.
Nagano Silk workers are working hard to revitalize the silk industry. From the Meiji Era (1868-1912) to the second half of the 1920s, wild silk production accounted for approximately 30% of Japan’s raw silk production. The Nagano area Okaya silk-cutting industry company merged in 1875 and developed a silk-cutting machine. Japanese technology was very advanced at the time. In 1962, Okaya silk cutting machines constituted 65% of Japan’s silk cutting machines. Now there are only two companies in Okaya. After the war, cheap Chinese silk swept across Japan. After that, some companies near Okaya were engaged in the cocoon processing industry.
Miyasaka Silk Cutting Company still adheres to the traditional silk cutting method, extracting raw silk from local silkworm cocoons and boiling the cocoons in a pan. Some members of the local organization have been spinning silk extracted from Miyasaka by hand. They produce products such as ties and tablecloths. In the past three years, they have tried to sell their products to European countries. The Okaya Chamber of Commerce and Industry said they have signed one contract so far, but they have differences with Europeans, who like curtains and sheets.
The Nagano Federation of Industry and Commerce and Shinshu University are working hard to develop new technology for “washable silk.”
Ori Doraku Shiono-ya textile company has a history of more than 300 years in Kyoto. It is famous for its Nishijin brocade and is also at the forefront of cooperation with the sericulture industry. This company allows families in Kyoto to raise a special kind of silkworms that produce colorful silk, buys them at a high price, and then sends them back to Miyasaka in Okaya to produce extremely high-quality silk threads.
