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Through Japan, World War II and Glasses
Fukui is the capital and largest city of Fukui Prefecture, with other major cities including Sakai, Echizen, and Sabae. Fukui Prefecture is located on the Sea of Japan coast and is part of the historic Hokuriku region of Japan. The Matsudaira clan, a powerful samurai clan during the Edo period that became a component of the Japanese nobility after the Meiji Restoration, was headquartered at Fukui Castle on the site of the modern prefectural offices. Fukui Prefecture is home to the Kitadani Formation and Kitadani Family, the Ichijōdani Asakura Family Historic Ruins, and the Tōjinbō cliff range.
Prehistory
The Kitadani Dinosaur Quarry, on the Sugiyama River within the city limits of Katsuyama, has yielded animals such as Fukuiraptor, Fukuisaurus, Nipponosaurus, Koshisaurus, Fukuivenator, Fukuititan, and Tambatitanis, as well as an unnamed dromaeosaurid.
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History
Fukui originally consisted of the old provinces of Wakasa and Echizen, before the prefecture was formed in 1871.
During the Edo period, the daimyō of the region was surnamed Matsudaira, and was a descendant of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
During World War II, Fukui was heavily bombed and its palace, Fukui Castle, surrounded by a moat, was demolished. Buildings for the Fukui Prefectural government were built on the site of the castle.
Geography
Fukui faces the Sea of Japan, and has a western part (formerly Wakasa) which is a narrow plain between the mountains and the sea, and a larger eastern part (formerly Echizen) with wider plains including the capital and most of the population. The province lies within Japan's "snow country".
As of 31 March 2008, 15% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Hakusan National Park; Echizen-Kaga Kaigan and Wakasa Wan Quasi-National Parks; and Okuetsu Kōgen Prefectural Natural Park.
Cities
Nine cities are located in Fukui Prefecture:
Towns
These are the towns in each district:
Mergers
Economy
- Sabae is known for producing 90% of Japan's domestically made glasses.
- There are several nuclear power plants located along Wakasa Bay in Tsuruga which supply power to the Keihanshin metropolitan region. Fukui has 14 reactors, the most of any prefecture.
Demographics
Fukui is one of the less populated prefectures of Japan; in September 2015 there were an estimated 785,508 people living in 281,394 households. As seen in most of Japan, Fukui is facing the problem of both an aging and decreasing population; 28.6% of the population was over the age of 65 in July 2015 and the population has decreased by 2.6% from the 806,000 measured in the October 2010 national census.
Culture
- Ichijōdani Asakura Family Historic Ruins is one of the most important cultural heritage sites in Japan.
- Eihei-ji is a temple offering training and education to Buddhist monks. Founded by Dogen Zenji in 1244, Eiheiji is located on a plot of land covering about 33 hectares.
- Myōtsū-ji's Three-storied Pagoda and Main Hall are National Treasures of Japan.
- Fukui is home to Maruoka Castle, the oldest standing castle in Japan. It was built in 1576.
- Residents of Fukui Prefecture have a distinctive accent, Fukui-ben.
- Fukui has long been a center for papermaking in Japan (along with Kyoto). Its Echizen Papermaking Cooperative is a world-famous collection of papermakers making paper in the traditional Echizen style.
- Fukui is also renowned for its clean water and crops, which result in sake, rice, and soba noodles.
- In August 2010 Fukui launched its own dating website entitled Fukui Marriage-Hunting Café in hopes of helping the declining population growth of Japan increase. Couples who meet in the site and continue on to marry receive monetary aid from the government as well as gifts.
Friendship cities
- Vihti, Finland
- Winsen (Luhe), Germany
Education
University
- Fukui University
- Fukui University of Technology
- Fukui Prefectural University
- Jin-ai University
Transportation
Railroad
- Echizen Railway
- Katsuyama-Eiheiji Line
- Mikuni-Awara Line
- Fukui Railway
- Fukubu Line
- Hokuriku Shinkansen
- JR West
- Hokuriku Line
- Kuzuryu Line
- Obama Line
- Hapi-Line Fukui Line
Road
Expressways and toll roads
- Chubu Jukan Expressway
- Hokuriku Expressway
- Maizuru-Wakasa Expressway
- Mikata Lake Rainbow Road
- Mount Hoonji Toll Road
National highways
- Route 8
- Route 27
- Route 157
- Route 158
- Route 161
- Route 162
- Route 303
- Route 305
- Route 364
- Route 365
- Route 367
- Route 416
- Route 417
- Route 418
- Route 476
Port
- Fukui Port
- Tsuruga Port - Ferry route to Niigata, Akita, Tomakomai, Otaru and International container hub
Tourism
- Ichijōdani Asakura Family Historic Ruins
- Eihei-ji Temple
- Echizen Ono Castle
- Maruoka Castle
- Tōjinbō, a scenic piece of coastline, which is also a notorious spot for suicide.
- Echizen crabs are a local delicacy available year-round, though the crabbing season is during the winter.
- Another traditional sea-side Fukui dish is genge, a small guppy-like fish that when eaten raw as sashimi, gives the body a brief tingling sensation.
- Awara is a famous onsen in the north of the prefecture.
- Takefu Chrysanthemum Character Doll Exhibition, held in Takefu Central Park every October to November, first held in 1952.
- Mikuni Festival, a combined portable shrine and floats traditional festival during May every year, first held in 1697.
- Many dinosaur fossils have been excavated in Fukui and they can be seen at the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum in Katsuyama.