Japan Is Working Hard To Save Silk Industry.

The silk industry was once one of the main industries in Japan, and it has contributed to Japan's foreign exchange earnings and modernization. Now, the silk industry is breaking away from the collapse.

In the latter half of 1920s, there were about 2 million 200 thousand families in Japan's sericulture industry.

According to government statistics, only 1200 families had silkworms last year.

When the output of raw silk is the highest, its annual output exceeds 40000 tons, and today it is larger than 100 tons.

The silk workers in Nagano, Japan, are also working hard to revitalize the silk industry.

In the Meiji Era (1868-1912) to the second half of 1920s, Nagano Prefecture accounted for about 30% of the total output of raw silk in China.

In 1875, the silk suppression industry of Okaya in Nagano Prefecture merged to develop a silk suppression machine. At that time, Japan's technology was very advanced.

In 1962, the Okaya machine made up 65% of the Japanese silk machine.

Today, there are only two companies in the city. After the war, cheap Chinese silk swept across the Japanese market. After that, some companies near Okaya were engaged in cocoon processing industry.

The Miyasaka suppression company, led by Teruhiko Miyasaka, still adheres to the traditional method of suppressing silk, pulls raw silk from local cocoons, and Miyasaka and his workers cook cocoons in a pan.

Some local members have been spinning the silk produced by Miyasaka. They have produced neckties and tablecloths. In recent three years, they have tried to sell their products to European countries.

Okaya Haruki Shimazaki of the Federation of industry and Commerce said that so far, the group had signed a contract, but they had differences with Europeans. Europeans like curtains and sheets.

Nagano and Shinshu university are working hard to develop new technology for washable silk.

The Ori Doraku Shiono-ya textile enterprise has a history of more than 300 years in Kyoto. It is famous for its Nishijin brocade, and is also at the forefront of cooperation with sericulture.

This enterprise allows families in Kyoto to raise a special silkworm.

The company bought it at a high price and sent it back to Miyasaka plant in Okaya area to produce excellent silk.