10th ANNIVERSARY INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM OF TOMIOKA SILK MILL AND RELATED SITES

10-11 January 2025

Gumma Ongaku Center, Takasaki City Gallery, Japan

Conference website: https://www.heritahttps://www.heritage-ecosystem.com/html/en/tem.com/html/en/

2024 marks the 10th anniversary of the World Heritage inscription of the “Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Sites.” This World Cultural Heritage site, consisting of four components—Tomioka Silk Mill, Tajima Yahei Sericulture Farm, Takayama-sha Sericulture School, and Arafune Cold Storage—has been recognized as a common heritage of humanity that should be passed down through the generations, primarily from the following perspectives:

Heritage that tells the story of important stages in history (Criterion iv): It conveys Japan’s significant role in technological innovation within the international silk industry.
Heritage that demonstrates the exchange of values during a particular era (Criterion ii): The large-scale factory buildings constructed in the late 19th century illustrate the emergence of a unique industrial architectural style that blends Japanese and Western elements.

During ten years since its inscription, efforts have been made in Gunma Prefecture to preserve and promote the component properties through cooperation between the public and private sectors. In addition to this, initiatives have been taken to disseminate information about other heritage sites under the Japanese Heritage designation “Kakaa Tenka – Gunma’s Silk Story” and to establish a registration system for Gunma Silk Heritage. Efforts have also been made to promote the silk industry within the prefecture and to engage in educational activities that convey silk culture.

This symposium aims to explore the challenges we face by using the World Heritage site “Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Sites” as a case study, focusing on the concept of a heritage ecosystem. A heritage ecosystem is understood to encompass the cyclical and organic relationships among various elements that constitute the rich cultural and natural environment of the region, and that are connected to the heritage. We will discuss the directions, goals and strategies to simultaneously achieve the protection of the “Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Sites” as a World Heritage site and promote regional development in related areas within the prefecture.

Additionally, by drawing on related cases and insights from around the world presented at this conference, we aim to formulate guidelines for the next ten years of the “Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Sites” and ultimately announce the “Gunma Declaration” (tentative title) with a global perspective.

Themes for Discussion

• Preservation and Management of Modern Buildings and Industrial Heritage
• Mechanisms and Systems of the Heritage Ecosystem
• Formation and Role of Heritage Communities
• Technology and the Future of Heritage