GUNMA

Fashion Town Kiryu

Reimagining culture and lifestyles

Visit Kiryu, a city whose revived cultural heritage offers locals and visitors new ways of living in and experiencing this historical town. Tucked in the east of Gunma Prefecture, the city of Kiryu is famous for producing traditional Japanese silk textiles. Recently, Kiryu’s historic shopping district has been undergoing a cultural revival to reimagine its past, present, and future. Experience this “fashion town” firsthand to see how local communities and lifestyles are changing with the times, while protecting crafts that have been passed down over generations.

History Experience Traditions

Access

The core of local community development

A “fashion town” can be described as a locale that has developed according to the idea that local industries nurture local communities, and vice versa. In other words, community development that considers people, lifestyle, culture, and local industry. The “fashion town” of Kiryu promotes the revitalization of its historic shopping district. Another important aspect of Kiryu’s local industry is the “one store, one artist” movement, which encourages artisans to create and innovate using Kiryu’s prized textiles.

A hub of crafts, textiles, and food culture

Take a walk through the shopping district, its streets lined with historical buildings once filled with weaving machines, for a glimpse into Kiryu’s past: the old silk market bustling with people buying and selling wonderfully colorful fabrics, workshops illuminated with bright textiles and even brighter ideas. Today, Kiryu’s artisans carry on the legacy of textile production and design. Innovative ideas and patterns proliferate in original works, attracting many fans of contemporary fashion and timeless crafts.

Uncovering fresh tastes

Kiryu’s “fashion town” also goes beyond textiles to engage with local cuisine, taking traditional ingredients and recipes from Kiryu’s past to invigorate modern food culture by introducing novel tastes to the palettes of visitors and locals alike.

Access to Kiryu

To reach Kiryu from Tokyo, take the Shonan Shinjuku Line from Ikebukuro Station to Kuki Station, then transfer to the Tobu Railway Express to Shin-Kiryu Station. From there, you can walk or take a bus to the Fashion Town Kiryu Promotion Council Office (open on weekdays from 8:30 to 17:15).

Address

Fashion Town Kiryu Promotion Council Office
Kiryu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 3-1-25 Nishiki-cho, Kiryu City, Gunma 376-0023

Contact

Tel: +81 277-45-1201
Email: info@kiryucci.or.jp

Business hours

Open on weekdays from 8:30 to 17:15

WEB site

Fashion Town Kiryu Promotion Council Office Kiryu Chamber of Commerce and Industry