Gunze Memorial Hall, Textile museum and corporate museum in Ayabe, Japan
Gunze Memorial Hall is a textile and corporate museum in Ayabe with three exhibition areas focused on manufacturing, fashion, and innovation. The collections display production equipment, fabric samples, and various textile creations spanning different time periods.
The museum was established to document the history of Gunze Limited, founded in 1896, which shaped textile production in the region. It traces the transformation from handcraft methods to industrial manufacturing across several decades.
The museum's name honors Gunze, a company with deep roots in the local region since the late 1800s. You can observe how Japanese textile craftsmanship has evolved across different periods and what role traditional knowledge plays in modern production today.
The museum sits about ten minutes on foot from JR Ayabe Station, making it easy to reach by public transport. Daily operating hours run from 10 AM to 4 PM, with the facility closed on Tuesdays.
The museum features a Mulberry Garden with varieties from different regions, showing how raw materials for textiles are cultivated. This garden links the process of growing materials directly to the production methods displayed throughout the exhibitions.
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