Fukui

Nov 12, 2014 - 1 min read

Shichiken Street in Ono Castle Town

Like Kyoto without the crowds

By Takako Sakamoto

Community writer

Front view of one of the shops on Shichiken Street in Ono Castle Town

Very Japanese-looking shop sign says, 'Rice, gas, heating oil, house appliance, equipment installation work and more'...this shop seems to be a jack-of-all-trades!

This beautiful Japanese stone marker says 'Shichiken Street'

People leisurely strolling on Shichiken Street

The sign says, 'Welcome to Shichiken Street Morning Market'

You can put your face in one of the round holes and take photos to show your friends that you visited the Shichiken Street!

Deserted Shichiken Street in the late afternoon. The morning market is open from 7 am to 11 am.

Beautiful wooden sign of a Japanese cake shop. What beautiful wood grain!

Front view of a sake shop. I wonder what this orange-brown round thing signifies?

Beautiful faceted glasses line the shelves

Japanese style Noren door curtain on a sake shop

Wow! Even the bank looks very Japanese here! Am I in Kyoto?

Long line of people...I wonder what they are lining up for? Perhaps for a delicious ice cream?

When I visited Ono Castle in Fukui, I parked my car in 'Ono Castle Town East Square' and walked down a street called 'Shichiken Street'. On this street, a famous morning market has been held for more than four hundred years. It's open from 7 am to 11 am EVERYDAY from Vernal Equinox Day (March 20 or 21) to the end of a year (December 31). Since I didn't know about it, I arrived there in the late afternoon and missed the activity. However, this street is filled with the atmosphere of old Japan, and just walking along it was such a pleasure. I almost felt like I was in Kyoto, not in Fukui. Kyoto minus crowds, that's Shichiken Street!

Ono Castle

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By Takako Sakamoto

Community writer

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Malcome Larcens 10 years ago

The orange ball means that this shop sells sake. It started green and eventually turned reddish brown. It's called 杉玉 sugidama. Don't know exactly why but it has a strong connection with sake.

Takako Sakamoto Photographer 10 years ago

Hi Malcome, thanks for the information! Now that I know the name of it, I checked it up! It started as a way to show gratitude to the God of Sake, but now it's used to notify customers that new sake is brewed and ready for sale. You mentioned the change of color from green to reddish brown? The color change shows how mature the sake is. Wow! New knowledge for me. Thanks!

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Motomachi, Ono-shi, Fukui-ken, Japan (Directions)

Malcome Larcens 10 years ago

The orange ball means that this shop sells sake. It started green and eventually turned reddish brown. It's called 杉玉 sugidama. Don't know exactly why but it has a strong connection with sake.