Historical Marker - remaining wall from the old Senju textile mill (with translation)
[Translation from most of the marker - I'll do the image captions later]
Arakawa Ward Registered Tangible Culture Property (Historical Record)
Brick Wall from the Old Senju Textile Mill
This brick wall formed the eastern side of the grounds of the Senju Textile Mill, a state-run factory founded in Meiji 12 (1879). There are also lengths of the original wall on the north side (9.9 meters) and south side (8.4 meters), as well as one of the pillars of the main gate, which is now surrounded by bollards for protection. Construction of the wall is estimated at between Meiji 44 (1911) and Taisho 3 (1914).
The Senju Textile Mill facilities, also called the Rasha-jo ['rasha' (ラシャ or 羅紗) comes from the Portuguese 'raxa', meaning felt cloth] were provided to enable domestic production of wool cloth for military uniforms, in keeping with the government's policies of encouraging industry, wealth and military strength. The purpose of the factory was not only to produce military uniforms, but also to introduce the wool textile technologies to private companies. The first director was Seizo Inoue, who studied textile production techniques in Germany [Inoue was a noble and member the Choshu Clan (Wikipedia Japan describes him as a former samurai)]. A bust of Inoue has been preserved on the western side next to the Arakawa Sports Center.
Although the factory was originally built by the Arakawa River (now the Sumida River), it was steadily expanded into the surrounding farmland. By the Taisho era, it covered an area of 32,406 sq. meters. The original site covered the area now occupied by the southern end of the Senju Kando road, the Arakawa Sports Center, the Minami Senju Baseball Grounds, a municipally-owned apartment, the Minami Senju police station, the Arakawa Municipal Technical High School, and the #2 branch of the Eastern Bureau of the Tokyo Municipal Waterworks Office.
The construction of the factory had a major impact on the modernization of the surrounding Minami Senju area. During the Meiji era, large factories were built nearby, including 2 mills built in the Shioiri neighborhood (now Minami Senju 8-chome) and a gas company near Ishihama Shrine (now Minami Senju 3-chome) [the gas company, now Tokyo Gas, is still there, along with its distinctive gas tanks]. With the addition of the Sumidagawa Station freight yard, Minami Senju was transformed into a commercial and industrial town. Following the war, management of the factory passed from the Ministry of the Army to the Ministries of the Interior and Commerce and Agriculture in 1949. Though they sold it to the Yamato Wool Company as surplus, the plant was finally closed in Showa 36 (1961), ending the factory's 80-year history. As none of the factory facilities still stand, this wall is one of the only parts of the Senju Textile Mill that still remain, making it a cultural heritage item of high historical value.
Heisei 22 (2010), October
Arakawa Ward Board of Education
Japanese text:
荒川区登録有形文化財
(歴史資料)
旧千住製絨所煉瓦塀
この煉瓦塀は、明治十二年（十八七十九）に創業を開始した官営工場、千住製絨所の敷地を取り囲んでいた東側の塀です。塀の長さは北側九．九メートル、南側八．四メートルで、正門の袖柱の一部と、塀を保護するために設けられた車止めの一部が残っています。建設年代は、明治四十四年（十九十一）から大正三年（十九十四）頃と推定されます。
千住製絨所は、ラシャ場とも呼ばれ、殖産興業、富国強兵政策の一貫として軍服用絨（毛織物）の本格的な国産化のために設けられた施設です。軍服用絨を製造するだけでなく、民間工場に技術を伝授する役割も果していました。初代所長は、ドイツで毛織物の技術を学んだ井上省三です。荒川総合スポーツセンター西側に井上省三の胸像が保存されています。
当初の工場は、荒川（現隅田川）沿いに建設されましたが、次第に周辺の田園地帯を取り込んで拡張を重ね、大正時代には、敷地面積は三万二千四百六坪になりました。千住間道を南限とし、現在の荒川総合スポーツセンター、南千住野球場、南千住警察署、都営住宅、都立荒川工業高校、東京都水道局東部第二支所などが旧敷地に該当します。
千住製絨所の登場は、南千住地域の近代化に大きな影響を与えました。明治時代、汐入の二つの紡績工場（南千住八丁目）、石浜神社付近のガス会社（南千住三丁目）など大規模な工場が進出し、また隅田川貨物駅なども設置され、南千住は興行と商業の町へと変貌していきました。内務省、農商務省、陸軍省と所管が代わり、戦後、昭和二十四年（十九四九）には、大和毛織株式会社に払い下げられましたが、昭和三十六年（十九六十一）に工場が閉鎖され、八十年余利の羊毛工場の歴史に幕を閉じました。構内にあった工場の建物等は現存していないため、この煉瓦塀が千住製絨所に関する数少ない建造物であり、歴史的価値の高い文化財です。
Historical Marker - remaining wall from the old Senju textile mill (with translation)
[Translation from most of the marker - I'll do the image captions later]
Arakawa Ward Registered Tangible Culture Property (Historical Record)
Brick Wall from the Old Senju Textile Mill
This brick wall formed the eastern side of the grounds of the Senju Textile Mill, a state-run factory founded in Meiji 12 (1879). There are also lengths of the original wall on the north side (9.9 meters) and south side (8.4 meters), as well as one of the pillars of the main gate, which is now surrounded by bollards for protection. Construction of the wall is estimated at between Meiji 44 (1911) and Taisho 3 (1914).
The Senju Textile Mill facilities, also called the Rasha-jo ['rasha' (ラシャ or 羅紗) comes from the Portuguese 'raxa', meaning felt cloth] were provided to enable domestic production of wool cloth for military uniforms, in keeping with the government's policies of encouraging industry, wealth and military strength. The purpose of the factory was not only to produce military uniforms, but also to introduce the wool textile technologies to private companies. The first director was Seizo Inoue, who studied textile production techniques in Germany [Inoue was a noble and member the Choshu Clan (Wikipedia Japan describes him as a former samurai)]. A bust of Inoue has been preserved on the western side next to the Arakawa Sports Center.
Although the factory was originally built by the Arakawa River (now the Sumida River), it was steadily expanded into the surrounding farmland. By the Taisho era, it covered an area of 32,406 sq. meters. The original site covered the area now occupied by the southern end of the Senju Kando road, the Arakawa Sports Center, the Minami Senju Baseball Grounds, a municipally-owned apartment, the Minami Senju police station, the Arakawa Municipal Technical High School, and the #2 branch of the Eastern Bureau of the Tokyo Municipal Waterworks Office.
The construction of the factory had a major impact on the modernization of the surrounding Minami Senju area. During the Meiji era, large factories were built nearby, including 2 mills built in the Shioiri neighborhood (now Minami Senju 8-chome) and a gas company near Ishihama Shrine (now Minami Senju 3-chome) [the gas company, now Tokyo Gas, is still there, along with its distinctive gas tanks]. With the addition of the Sumidagawa Station freight yard, Minami Senju was transformed into a commercial and industrial town. Following the war, management of the factory passed from the Ministry of the Army to the Ministries of the Interior and Commerce and Agriculture in 1949. Though they sold it to the Yamato Wool Company as surplus, the plant was finally closed in Showa 36 (1961), ending the factory's 80-year history. As none of the factory facilities still stand, this wall is one of the only parts of the Senju Textile Mill that still remain, making it a cultural heritage item of high historical value.
Heisei 22 (2010), October
Arakawa Ward Board of Education
Japanese text:
荒川区登録有形文化財
(歴史資料)
旧千住製絨所煉瓦塀
この煉瓦塀は、明治十二年（十八七十九）に創業を開始した官営工場、千住製絨所の敷地を取り囲んでいた東側の塀です。塀の長さは北側九．九メートル、南側八．四メートルで、正門の袖柱の一部と、塀を保護するために設けられた車止めの一部が残っています。建設年代は、明治四十四年（十九十一）から大正三年（十九十四）頃と推定されます。
千住製絨所は、ラシャ場とも呼ばれ、殖産興業、富国強兵政策の一貫として軍服用絨（毛織物）の本格的な国産化のために設けられた施設です。軍服用絨を製造するだけでなく、民間工場に技術を伝授する役割も果していました。初代所長は、ドイツで毛織物の技術を学んだ井上省三です。荒川総合スポーツセンター西側に井上省三の胸像が保存されています。
当初の工場は、荒川（現隅田川）沿いに建設されましたが、次第に周辺の田園地帯を取り込んで拡張を重ね、大正時代には、敷地面積は三万二千四百六坪になりました。千住間道を南限とし、現在の荒川総合スポーツセンター、南千住野球場、南千住警察署、都営住宅、都立荒川工業高校、東京都水道局東部第二支所などが旧敷地に該当します。
千住製絨所の登場は、南千住地域の近代化に大きな影響を与えました。明治時代、汐入の二つの紡績工場（南千住八丁目）、石浜神社付近のガス会社（南千住三丁目）など大規模な工場が進出し、また隅田川貨物駅なども設置され、南千住は興行と商業の町へと変貌していきました。内務省、農商務省、陸軍省と所管が代わり、戦後、昭和二十四年（十九四九）には、大和毛織株式会社に払い下げられましたが、昭和三十六年（十九六十一）に工場が閉鎖され、八十年余利の羊毛工場の歴史に幕を閉じました。構内にあった工場の建物等は現存していないため、この煉瓦塀が千住製絨所に関する数少ない建造物であり、歴史的価値の高い文化財です。