Silk reeling machines of the Okaya Silk Museum

The Okaya Silk Museum features eight yarn-making machines, including Frenchtype silk reeling machines and Suwa-type silk reeling machines manufactured in the early Meiji Era, as well as multi-yarn type silk reeling machines developed in the early Showa Era.

The French-type silk reeling machine was used at the government-operated Tomioka Silk Mill in 1872 and is the oldest existing yarn-making machine. It was imported by foreign employee Paul Brunat from Franch. The Suwa-type silk reeling machine was developed by Daijiro Takei of Nakayama Company in Hirano Village, Suwa-gun (presently Okaya City) around 1882 by fusing French and Italian technologies and was disseminated throughout the nation in the Meiji Era. In addition, three multi-yarn type silk reeling machines of the Minorikawa, Oda and Masuzawa types where the productivity is further enhanced are also preserved.

These silk reeling machines are important heritages that testify to the history of silkreeling technologies in Japan.