This website will provide up-to-date information on all silk insects around the wild silkworm Dear interested in wild silkworm and our members wild silkworm Society of Japan (JSWS).

Welcome to our homepage

Address by Dr. Hiromu Akai

President of The Japanese Society for Wild Silkmoths, President of International Society for Wild Silkmoths, Visiting Professor of Tokyo University of Agriculture

Welcome to our homepage of JSWS.
　All the silk producing wild silkmoths including Antheraea yamamai, domesticated silkworm, Bombyx mori and spiders are new silk resources by which to make silk fiber goods and non-silk fiber goods. We the members of JSWS will study fundamental, and technological subjects related to wild silkmoths and silk to develop commercial goods. The key points in utilization of silk producing insects are in planting and cultivating variety of food plants for insects without using insecticides and in large scale rearing of insects to promote protection of our environment on earth while creating new insect industries. We will utilize advanced technologies of cocoon production and cocoon processing in Japan to study variety of silk producing insects on earth for their exploitation of application. We help people in Japan and abroad. We help people in developing countries, to establish local industries of wild silkmoths and silk with close collaboration with International Society for Wild Silkmoths.

Establishment of The Japanese Society for Wild Silkmoths (JSWS)

　The Japanese Society for Wild silkmoths (JSWS) was establised in 1986 as Seminar of Wild Silkmoths. Its objectives were to study fundamental and applied techniques for utilization of a variety of silk proteins from cocoons of a variety of insect species on this earth to spin silk thread and to help develop practical techniques of their use as silk fibers and as non-silk fibers and ultimately establish environmentally-friendly industries in various countries in the world including the developing countries.

　As shown in History of Seminar of Wild Silkmoths and History of The Japanese Society for Wild Silkmoths, we have opened Seminars of Wild Silkmohts, and Meetings of The Japanese Society for Wild Silkmoths. We have been publishing International Journal of Wild Silkmoth & Silk and Wild Silkworm News. JSWS was supported by grants from Tsukuba Science Exposition Memorial Foundation between 1989 and 1993. In 1993, JSWS was approved as one of the academic societies belonging to Science Council of Japan.

Establishment of International Society for Wild Silkmoths (ISWS)

　On the other hand, in 1988, on the occasion of Symposium on Wild Silkmoths held in International Congress of Entomology, Vancouver, Canada, establishment of International Society for Wilk Silkmoths was proposed. Subsequently as shown in History of International Society for Wild Silkmoths, research and transactions became active through Congresses of ISWS. People from as many as twenty countries attended the Congresses of ISWS and the number of attendees is ever increasing. Such requests towards ISWS are increasing as to help establish local industries related to wild silkmoth and silk, from Southeast Asian countries and from countries in Africa. Contribution of Japan has been significant in providing advices and suggestions in the research and technology development in wild silk and wild silk related goods.

Publication of Journals

　For JSWS and ISWS, International Journal of Wild Silkmoth & Silk is publidhed annually. It publishes papers related to silk about fundamental and applied research achievements of all insect species including wild silkmoths. The ratio of English papers and Japanese papers is 7:3. We welcome your submission of paper articles with excellent quality. We publish Wild Silkmoth News named Wild Silkmoth―Research and Development of New Silk Resources―, three times a year. It publishes Japanese articles only. Articles includes as many topics as the most up-to-date research achievement, technical information, research developed by JSWS, and how to utilize Wild Silkmoth cocoons. We welcome your submission of articles.

The 6th International Congress on Wild Silkmoths in Tokyo in coming 2010

　The 6th International Congress on Wild Silkmoths will be held in Tokyo from Oct. 21 to 23, 2010 at Setagaya Campus, Tokyo University of Agriculture.
　A conference larger than ever before is planned, which includes sessions of oral presentation, poster presentation, workshop, and display of wild silkmoth goods and wild silk goods. We expect a lot of attendees from more than 21 countries world-wide. We welcome you and your colleagues to participate in this conference.

Total number of members　284: Members belonging to Category A　152, Members belonging to Category B　132