Discover Japan's Textile Heritage: Hands-on Fun at Yume Ole Katsuyama in Fukui!

Experience weaving in the historic textile town of Katsuyama

Katsuyama City , Fukui Prefecture , is an area where the textile industry has developed for many years. At the Textile museum Yume Ole Katsuyama, you can enjoy the textile culture of the area. Not only do they display historical machinery, but you can also experience weaving fabric yourself, making it a tourist spot that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. We will introduce the attractions of this facility, which has also been certified as a national modernization industrial heritage site.

• Table of Contents
• Facility overview and history
• About Katsuyama's textile industry
• Facility usage guide
• Features of the first floor
• Features of the second floor
• Experience Program Information
• Recommended for families! Make memories at Yume Ole Katsuyama

Facility overview and history

Textile museum Yume Ole Katsuyama is a museum that has been preserved and utilized as a building that once operated as a textile factory. Inside the building, which was actually used from 1905 to 1998, the textile machinery from that time is preserved, conveying the history of the textile industry to the present day.

This facility, designated as a tangible cultural property of Katsuyama City, is also described as a "living cultural property" and is more than just an exhibition facility; it is a valuable place where you can see actual machines in operation and experience weaving.

About Katsuyama's textile industry

Katsuyama has been one of the textile production areas in the Echizen region since the Edo period. The textile industry developed in earnest especially from the late Meiji period, when high-quality silk fabric called "habutae" began to be exported to Europe and the United States.

The reason this region is well suited to the textile industry is because of its Toyotomi water resources and moderate humidity throughout the year. These natural conditions are ideal for producing high-quality textiles.

Although the industrial structure has changed over the years, the textile industry remains one of Katsuyama's most important industries.

Facility usage guide

Opening hours: 9:00~17:00
Closed: Every Wednesday (or the following day if the Wednesday is a public holiday), New Year's holiday (December 29th to January 2nd)
Address : 1-7-40 Showa- Showa Town , Katsuyama City, Fukui Prefecture
Contact : 0779-87-1200
Admission fee : Free (the experience corner requires a fee)
Access : 20 minutes on foot from Echizen Railway Katsuyama Station, or 5 minutes by bus or taxi. Bicycle rental is also recommended.

Yume Ole Katsuyama

1-7-40 Showamachi, Katsuyama City, Fukui Prefecture 911-0802

Yume Ole Katsuyama is a living cultural asset where you can enjoy the world of textiles. It is a must-see to see the textile-related machines that were active in the Showa era moving with a sense of realism. You can learn about the history of the textile industry and the structure of textiles while operating the weaving machine and picking threads from the cocoons. The hand-woven coaster experience and cocoon ball craft experience are also very popular. You can enjoy creating your own original work.

Instagram: Yumeole Katsuyama

Features of the first floor

On the first floor, you can see Katsuyama's weaving techniques up close.

The power looms on display were actually used in a former textile factory. Three of the power looms are still in working order, and you can observe them in action. See right before your eyes the process of warp and weft threads intersecting to weave fabric.

There is also an explanation of the technique of weaving two warp threads (double threads), which is a characteristic of the fabric called "habutae." It is this delicate technique that has enabled Katsuyama textiles to gain such high praise for their high quality.

Features of the second floor

The second floor is mainly dedicated to the display of large machines in operation, where you can learn about the process of weaving fabrics in order.

Other exhibits include a warping machine that arranges the warp threads and a twisting machine that twists the threads, allowing visitors to gain a deeper understanding of each process in textile manufacturing.

There is also an experience corner where you can extract silk from silkworm cocoons, which is especially popular with children.

Experience Program Information

In the experience corner on the first floor, you can experience various weaving-related activities. It is also recommended for family visits. By actually touching the raw materials and tools used for weaving, you can gain a deeper understanding of weaving culture. Here are some particularly recommended experience programs.

Hand weaving experience

This is an experience where you can make your own coaster using a hand loom. You can choose from a variety of materials such as wool and linen thread to create your own original work. Even beginners will be given careful instruction by our expert staff.

Fee: 600 yen per item Time required: Approximately 30 minutes
Age: 5 years and older (children aged 3-4 can experience this if accompanied by a guardian)

Cocoon craft experience

This is an experience where you can create cute animals and characters using silkworm cocoons, the raw material for silk fabric.

Price: 600 yen per item
Duration: Approximately 40 minutes
Age: Elementary school students and above (preschool children may participate if accompanied by a guardian)

Recommended for families! Make memories at Yume Ole Katsuyama

Textile museum Yume Ole Katsuyama is a rare place where you can experience the textile culture of Katsuyama City , Fukui Prefecture . You can learn about the textile industry in the region by touring the textile machines preserved in the historic building and by actually operating them.

Admission is free, so you can drop by any time, and in the experience corner you can create your own one-of-a-kind original work. It's a great spot for family tourists, with fun for everyone from children to adults.

If you are visiting Katsuyama City, be sure to spend some time here experiencing the history and culture of the area. The world of textiles awaits you.