The other day I was translating one of Japan Travel's articles about irises at Meiji Shrine, Tokyo, which had lots of beautiful photos of irises and all of a sudden I wanted to go see them with my own eyes no mater what. When I inquired where I s..
Katsuyama is a mountain city and the definition of Fukui Prefecture's "snow country" tag, as well as the location of one of the best dinosaur museums in the world. The Fukui Prefecture Dinosaur Museum is the research hub of dinosaur fossils in Japan, and houses four floors of over fort..
Sakai is Fukui Prefecture's second most populous city and home to Maruoka Castle, Japan's oldest remaining castle. Maruoka Castle is known as Kasumi-ga-jo, or Mist Castle, as legend has it that whenever an enemy approaches the castle, a thick mist will shroud it and prevent the castle from b..
Fukui City is the capital of Fukui prefecture, which is located along the coast of the Sea of Japan. While most attractions lie just outside of the city center, there are a number of places that make Fukui city worth visiting. The Ichijōdani Asakura Family Historic Ruins are historic ruins from a ca..
When you visit JR Fukui Station, you can't miss the spooky sound of the dinosaurs roaring at the sky day and night. Then you cross the street, and find Oden Ishida-Ya standing just opposite the Hotel Toyoko-Inn. Pass by the lines of piled-up sake..
Fukui City is a sprawling empire. Though it boasts the title of city, the actual area one could call urban is but a small tract of land that falls within Fukui City’s realm. This fact has its downsides — no subway, slow buses with very li..
Besides its famous washi village and knife culture, Echizen city in Fukui Prefecture also has what locals call the 'Three Best Dishes of Echizen'. Namely, oroshi soba, boruga rice (sometimes spelled: volga rice) and ekimae chuka soba. Be..
Auberge Fujii Fermier is located in a small village close to the Echizen seashore in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. You can relax and enjoy the distinct pleasures of each of the four seasons here. If you listen closely, you will hear the birds singing and ..
Awara onsen is the most famous hot spring town in Fukui prefecture, situated 18 kilometers north of Fukui city. The town has a rich history dating back to 1883. A farmer first found the hot spring when he was digging a well in a swamp. Soon after, ma..
Auberge Fujii Fermier is located in a small village close to the Echizen seashore in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. You can relax and enjoy the distinct pleasures of each of the four seasons here. If you listen closely, you will hear the birds singing and ..
Nishiyama Park is an expansive park where visitors can immerse themselves in an oasis of nature. Located in the heart of Sabae City the park is quite a rarity for a city of this size and one of the top destinations in all of Fukui Prefecture. ..
One of the joys of living in Fukui lies in taking advantage of the ever-changing seasons and what they bring to the region. Although the prefecture certainly has plenty to offer when it comes to spring sakura blossoms, fall colors, and beautiful summ..
One sunny day in late February, I visited Yokokan Garden. Since a sunny day is quite rare in Fukui (it's almost always gray and buried in snow during winter!), I jumped out of bed as soon as I saw sunshine through my window in the morning. As I&..
