Tomioka

Tomioka, city, south-central Gumma ken (prefecture), central Honshu, Japan, on the Kabura River, west of Takasaki. Situated on a local railway between Takasaki and Shimonita, it is the cultural, administrative, and economic hub of the river valley. Tomioka was an early trade centre for cocoons and raw silk and was the site of Japan’s first silk mill (1872). Newly established industries now exceed the silk-reeling industry. Major products include electrical machinery, synthetic textiles, and rubber goods. Cocoons, konnyaku (“devil’s tongue” seaweed paste), and shiitake mushrooms are special rural products. Pop. (2005) 53,765; (2010) 52,070.