120418-0005 - Silk Factory

A man in suit looks on as women in uniform are weaving silk at the Kiryu Orimono KK (桐生織物株式会社, Kiryu Textile Company Ltd.), a Japanese silk factory in Kiryu, Gunma Prefecture. The company was launched as the Nihon Orimono KK (日本織物株式会社, Japan Textile Company, Ltd.) in 1887 (Meiji 20). At the time it was Japan’s largest and most modern silk factory where the complete production process was done by machinery.