Fukui Prefecture

Fukui Prefecture 福井県
Prefecture
Japanese transcription(s)
• Japanese	福井県
• Rōmaji	Fukui-ken
Flag
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu (Hokuriku)
Island	Honshū
Capital	Fukui
Government
• Governor	Issei Nishikawa
Area
• Total	4,188.99 km2 (1,617.38 sq mi)
Area rank	34th
Population (June 1, 2013)
• Total	795,437
• Rank	43rd
• Density	189.93/km2 (491.9/sq mi)
ISO 3166 code	JP-18
Districts	7
Municipalities	17
Flower	Narcissus (Narcissus tazetta)
Tree	Pine tree (Pinus)
Bird	Dusky thrush (Turdus naumanni)
Website	www.pref.fukui.jp/english/

Current map of Fukui Prefecture

Tōjinbō, Sakai, Fukui

Row of sakura, Asuwa River, Fukui, Fukui

Ichijōdani Asakura Family Historic Ruins

Myōtsū-ji, Obama, Fukui

Maruoka Castle, Sakai, Fukui

Fukui Prefecture (福井県, Fukui-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Fukui.

Prehistory

The Kitadani Dinosaur Quarry, on the Sugiyama River within the city limits of Katsuyama, has yielded the Fukuiraptor kitadaniensis and Fukuisaurus tetoriensis as well as an unnamed dromaeosaurid and a sauropod, Fukuititan. It also shows the coexistence of pterosaurs and birds, in the forms of comingled tracks.

History

See also: Historic Sites of Fukui Prefecture

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, the city was heavily bombed and its palace, surrounded by a moat, was demolished. The Fukui Prefectural government buildings were built on the site.

Geography

The province 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 mountain side of the eastern part has much snow in winter.

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:

• Awara
• Echizen
• Fukui (capital)

• Katsuyama
• Obama
• Ōno

• Sabae
• Sakai
• Tsuruga

Towns

These are the towns in each district:

• Imadate District
  • Ikeda
• Mikata District
  • Mihama
• Mikatakaminaka District
  • Wakasa
• Nanjō District
  • Minamiechizen

• Nyū District
  • Echizen
• Ōi District
  • Ōi
  • Takahama
• Yoshida District
  • Eiheiji

Mergers

Main article: List of mergers in Fukui Prefecture

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. It 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 were over the age of 65 in July 2015 and the population has decreased 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 serene 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.
• Many dinosaur fossils have been excavated in Fukui and they can been seen at the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum.
• 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 delicious sake, rice, and soba noodles.

Friendship cities

• Vihti, Finland

Education

University

• Fukui University
• Fukui Technology University
• Fukui Prefectural University
• Jinai University

Transportation

Railroad

• JR West
  • Hokuriku Line
  • Obama Line
  • Kuzuryu Line
• Echizen Railway
  • Katsuyama-Eiheiji Line
  • Mikuni-Awara Line
• Fukui Railway
  • Fukubu Line

Road

Expressway and Toll Road

• Hokuriku Expressway
• Maizuru-Wakasa Expressway
• Chubu Jukan Expressway
• Mikata Lake Rainbow Road
• Mount Hoonji Toll Road

National Highway

• 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

• Tsuruga Port - Ferry route to Niigata, Akita, Tomakomai, Otaru and International container hub
• Fukui Port

Tsuruga Port

Tourism

• Ichijōdani Asakura Family Historic Ruins
• Eihei-ji Temple
• 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.

References

• Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 58053128

External links

• Official Fukui Prefecture homepage
• Echizen Papermaking Cooperative