The Tomioka Silk Mill, a historic factory in Gunma Prefecture and a cradle of Japan's industrialization in the 19th century, has been inundated with tourists following its listing Saturday as a World Heritage site.
Braving the rain, more than 100 people stood under their umbrellas waiting for the factory building to open at 9 a.m. on Sunday.
On Saturday, a UNESCO committee added the mill and related sites to the nation's World Cultural Heritage list. It is the 18th property to be listed.