Echizen crab越前がに
Premium snow crab landed on the Fukui coast in winter, often simply boiled.
Chubu
Fukui Travel Guide
Local tips, regional food and places off the tourist trail
A quiet Sea of Japan prefecture with rugged coast and deep history. Highlights are the Tojinbo cliffs, Eiheiji Zen temple and the Dinosaur Museum in Katsuyama.
Open Fukui on the map37 places on the map · 18 local favourites
Local tips
- TipThe Hokuriku Shinkansen now reaches Fukui and Tsuruga, making the prefecture easy to reach from Kanazawa.
- TipSights are spread out; a rental car is simplest, though the local Echizen Railway (plus a bus connection) reaches Eiheiji and Katsuyama.
- AvoidEiheiji is a working monastery; keep your voice down and don’t photograph monks in training.
- TipEchizen crab season runs through winter, and coastal towns are busiest with visitors then.
- TipFor a lesser-known stop, visit Ichijodani, the excavated ruins of a medieval castle town.
What to eat
Sauce katsudonソースカツ丼
Thin pork cutlets dipped in Worcestershire-style sauce over rice, no egg — a Fukui staple.
Echizen oroshi soba越前おろしそば
Cold buckwheat noodles topped with spicy grated daikon, bonito flakes and broth.
Local favourites
Places mostly visited by people who live here — quieter, and often the highlight of a trip.
Jingu-ji Temple, Obama
神宮寺 Temples & GoshuinchoTemple in Obama known as the source of the sacred water sent to Nara's Todaiji in the spring rite. Quiet and moody.
● Mostly localsObama Nishigumi
小浜西組 Sights & HistoryOld townscape of Obama, including a former geisha district with latticed teahouses. Quiet and very local.
● Mostly localsSotomo Cliffs
蘇洞門 Nature & ScenerySea caves and granite cliffs on the coast near Obama, visited by boat from the Fisherman's Wharf.
● Mostly localsOshimizu Spring, Ono
御清水 Sights & HistoryNature & SceneryClear spring water in Echizen Ono, a town known for its water. Locals still use it to cool drinks and vegetables.
● Mostly localsUrushi no Sato
うるしの里会館 ShoppingLacquerware centre in Sabae where you can watch and try the old Echizen lacquer craft.
● Mostly localsMyotsuji Temple
明通寺 Temples & GoshuinchoMountain temple in Obama with a National Treasure main hall and three-storey pagoda. Quiet and seldom visited.
● Mostly localsEchizen Cape Suisen Land
越前岬水仙ランド Nature & SceneryHillside park above the sea on the Echizen coast, covered with wild narcissus in winter.
● Mostly localsEchizen Pottery Village
越前陶芸村 ShoppingVillage of kilns and galleries for Echizen ware, one of Japan's six ancient kiln traditions.
● Mostly localsShichiken Morning Market, Ono
七間朝市 Local FoodShoppingMorning market in the castle town of Echizen Ono, where farmers sell vegetables, pickles and sweets on a street lined with old houses. Pair with a castle visit.
● Mostly localsTsuruga Port Museum of Humanity
人道の港 敦賀ムゼウム Sights & HistorySmall museum on Tsuruga's role receiving Jewish refugees with Sugihara visas and Polish orphans. Moving and well done.
● Mostly localsFormer Kishina House, Mikuni
旧岸名家 Sights & HistoryA preserved merchant house in Mikuni's old port town, with the distinctive 'kaguratate' architecture. A good start for exploring the town's streets.
● Mostly localsMatsuokaken (Habutae Mochi)
松岡軒 Local FoodLong-established Fukui City confectioner making habutae mochi, a silky soft rice cake named after the region's fine silk. A classic Fukui souvenir.
● Mostly localsThe famous sights
The places most visitors come for. Worth it — just go early.
Eiheiji Temple
大本山永平寺 Temples & GoshuinchoSights & HistoryHead temple of Soto Zen, a working monastery of wooden halls connected by covered corridors on a cedar-forested slope. Watch the monks at work.
Tojinbo Cliffs
東尋坊 Nature & SceneryTowering columns of basalt along the sea near Mikuni. Take the sightseeing boat for the best view, and stay for sunset.