there was considerable social pressure against women working in a factory, and friction between women from different social classes forced to work side by side. Many workers left within three years of employment, and the need to keep training new worked added to the mill's expenses. Workers were graded according to their skill level, with a system of eight ranks introduced in 1873. Silk produced at the mill received a second place award at the 1873 Vienna World's Fair, and "Tomioka silk" became a brand name. Workers from Tomioka were also send, or otherwise found employment at other privately owned silk mills which were subsequently built in Japan. Brunat and other foreign engineers employed at Tomioka left at the end of 1875 when their contracts expired, and thereafter the mill was managed only by Japanese. Odaka came into conflict with his government overseers and was forced to retire in November 1876 as well, but by this time the mill was showing good profits, and in the following year, direct exports to France by Mitsui & Co. began. Plans to privatize the mill was delayed when cabinet minister Matsukata Masayoshi visited the Exposition Universelle (1878) in Paris as was told that the quality of silk from Tomioka had deteriorated considerably. On his return, Matsukata fired Odaka's successor, Yamada Noriyuki, who had been hindering reforms, and attempt to install a former official from the Home Ministry, Hayami Kenzo, as his successor. Hayami had become president of a company exporting silk, and was a strong proponent of privatization. He agreed to rent the Tomioka Silk Mill for a five-year period, but this was strenuously opposed by the Gunma Prefectural government. By 1884, when most government-owned enterprises had been sold off, Tomioka Silk Mills remained in government hands. Due to its huge size, it was beyond the means of private investors at the time. Under its fourth director, Okano Asaji, a drop in silk prices worldwide plunged the operation deeply into the red. Hayami returned as director again in 1885 and turned the situation around by opening new markets in New York and by raising the reputation of Tomioka silk by increasing quality control. Under Mitsui In September 1893, Mitsui & Co. raised a 121,460 Yen bid an purchased the Tomioka Silk Mill from the government. Under management of Mitsui, a second women one-story factory was established, and new, more modern, reeling machines were