【Tomioka City, Gunma Prefecture】Let's go see Kengo Kuma's architecture in Tomioka City! A world heritage town that can be accessed in 2 hours from Tokyo and 1 hour from Karuizawa.
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The area around Joshu Tomioka Station in Gunma Prefecture, which can be accessed in just two hours from Tokyo, is the perfect location for walking around retro-modern streets. It is home to Tomioka Silk Mill, a world heritage made of red bricks that combines Japanese and French architectural techniq...
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Gunma Prefecture is located in the center of Japan, northwest of Tokyo. It is known for its hot springs, ski resorts, and abundant nature that can be enjoyed just a short distance from Tokyo. Gunma is dotted with attractive hot springs surrounded by beautiful natural scenery such as mountains, marshes, and lakes. It is therefore ideal for those who want to relax away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and enjoy outdoor activities to refresh their mind. Meanwhile, in small cities where the traditions of sericulture and crafts remain strong, you can immerse yourself in Japanese culture. It takes about an hour to get to Takasaki City, Gunma's central transportation hub from Tokyo by Shinkansen, so you can enjoy sightseeing on a day trip. However, you can also immerse yourself in the charm of Gunma by staying for several days in a wide range of accommodations.
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Table of Contents
- Experience the architectural beauty of Tomioka City, including Kengo Kuma's works
- Tomioka City Hall designed by Kengo Kuma
- Former Tomioka Warehouse, designed and supervised by Kengo Kuma
- Other recommended retro-modern buildings in Tomioka City
- Access to Tomioka City
Experience the architectural beauty of Tomioka City, including Kengo Kuma's works
Tomioka City, Gunma Prefecture, which can be accessed in just two hours from Tokyo, is famous for the Tomioka Silk Mill, a red brick world heritage Tomioka Silk Mill that symbolizes Japan's modernization, but there are actually other buildings in the city that will captivate architecture enthusiasts. There are a lot of things. In addition to the Tomioka Silk Mill, which was built by Japanese craftsmen under the design of a French engineer during the Meiji period, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which was renovated from a kimono store, there is also a building built by a leading figure in the Japanese architecture industry today. The renovation of a historic warehouse complex by a certain Kengo Kuma and the new city hall built nearby show respect for the history and architecture of Tomioka City. All of the spots introduced here can be accessed on foot from Joshu Tomioka Station, the gateway to Tomioka.
Tomioka City Hall designed by Kengo Kuma
Tomioka City Hall, located a 1-minute walk from Joshu-Tomioka Station, was designed by internationally active architect Kengo Kuma and completed in 2018. Based on the concept of ``a collection of small roofs'' inspired by the townscape of Tomioka, the building makes extensive use of wooden louvers (lattices), a characteristic of Kengo Kuma's architecture. You can pass through between the administrative building and the assembly building, and various events are held mainly on weekends on the lawn square in front of the government building. The only place where you can freely tour the interior is the entrance hall of the assembly building.
In the entrance hall of the council building, you can see a wall decorated with "Kibiso", the first thread spewed out by silkworms as a scaffolding for making cocoons, worthy of a "silk town". You can freely tour the facility from 9:00 to 21:00, except when it is being used for events.
Former Tomioka Warehouse, designed and supervised by Kengo Kuma
The Old Tomioka Warehouse, located between Joshu Tomioka Station and Tomioka City Hall, is a group of historic buildings built in the early 20th century that were supervised and designed by Kengo Kuma. The warehouse complex, which had its grand opening in 2022, includes a brick warehouse that houses the Gunma Prefecture World Heritage Center, an Oya stone warehouse where you can enjoy a cafe and workshops, and the Okatte Market, where you can see City Hall from the counter seats. It consists of a warehouse with wooden mud walls. Events such as marches are held regularly on the lawn square in the middle.
This is a view of the "Okatte Ichiba'' sales floor, which is housed in a one-story wooden and mud-walled warehouse. The ceilings of each of the three warehouse buildings, which have different architectural styles, are made of carbon fiber strung like a cradle for seismic reinforcement, inspired by silk threads. There is much to see in each warehouse other than the ceiling, so please take a look at them as well.
Other recommended retro-modern buildings in Tomioka City
Tomioka Chamber of Commerce and Industry Hall, a renovated historical kimono store in Tomioka
The Tomioka Chamber of Commerce and Industry Hall, located in the middle of the "Historical Road Connecting Tomioka Silk Mill and Tomioka City Hall," was designed by the master of the designer of Joshu Tomioka Station and was completed in 2018, the same year as Tomioka City Hall did. It was built as part of town planning in anticipation of the Tomioka Silk Mill being registered as a World Heritage Site, with the aim of preserving a kimono shop that has been in existence since the Meiji era, based on a "design that represents the past and the future''.
The Tomioka Chamber of Commerce and Industry Hall is open on weekdays from 8:30 to 17:00, when it is not being used for meetings or events, you can freely tour it or use it as a small telework space. Gentle light shines through the window glasses, which is shaped like a rotating cocoon framework that silkworms use as a platform to create their cocoons. Feel the warmth of wood in a space that uses plenty of wood.
Joshu Tomioka Station was selected in a competition where Kengo Kuma served as the chairman of the judging committee.
Joshu Tomioka Station, which opened in 1897, was rebuilt in 2014 after a competition chaired by Kengo Kuma as a gateway worthy of a world heritage site. The station and its surrounding area have been designed and maintained in an integrated manner, and have been highly praised by the construction industry not only for its high level of technology but also for its unified landscape.
Award plaques are placed in the indoor waiting area. The station building was built using an innovative construction method called "steel-framed brick construction", which is rare even in Japan, and was modeled after the Tomioka Silk Mill, which had a timber-framed brick structure. The bricks are laid in the same "French style" as Tomioka Silk Mill, but please enjoy the contrast between Tomioka Silk Mill of solid red bricks, and Joshu Tomioka Station, which is open and has light brown bricks.
Access to Tomioka City
From Haneda Airport to Tomioka City
Haneda Airport (Tokyo Monorail) - Hamamatsucho Station (Yamanote Line) - Tokyo Station (Joetsu/Hokuriku Shinkansen) - Takasaki Station (Joshin Electric Railway) - Joshu Tomioka Station (approx. 2 hours 45 minutes)
From Narita Airport to Tomioka City
Narita Airport (Skyliner) - Ueno Station (Joetsu Shinkansen/Hokuriku Shinkansen) - Takasaki Station (Joshin Electric Railway) - Joshu Tomioka Station (approx. 3 hours 45 minutes)
From Karuizawa to Tomioka City
Karuizawa Station (Nagano Shinkansen) - Takasaki Station (Joshin Electric Railway) - Joshu Tomioka Station (1 hour)
Approximately 50 minutes via Joshinetsu Expressway
From Niigata to Tomioka City
Niigata Station (Joetsu Shinkansen) - Takasaki Station (Joshin Electric Railway) - Joshu Tomioka Station (about 2 hours)
From Kanazawa to Tomioka City
Kanazawa Station (Hokuriku Shinkansen) - Takasaki Station (Joshin Electric Railway) - Joshu Tomioka Station (approx. 2 hours 20 minutes)
Gunma Prefecture is located in the center of Japan, northwest of Tokyo. It is known for its hot springs, ski resorts, and abundant nature that can be enjoyed just a short distance from Tokyo. Gunma is dotted with attractive hot springs surrounded by beautiful natural scenery such as mountains, marshes, and lakes. It is therefore ideal for those who want to relax away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and enjoy outdoor activities to refresh their mind. Meanwhile, in small cities where the traditions of sericulture and crafts remain strong, you can immerse yourself in Japanese culture. It takes about an hour to get to Takasaki City, Gunma's central transportation hub from Tokyo by Shinkansen, so you can enjoy sightseeing on a day trip. However, you can also immerse yourself in the charm of Gunma by staying for several days in a wide range of accommodations.
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