Fukui-shi (福井市) is a city located in the Hokuriku Region (北陸地方) within the Chubu District (中部地方) of the main island of Japan.  It is the largest city and capital of Fukui Prefecture.   The city is located to the north of Lake Biwa (琵琶湖), on the coast of the Sea of Japan (日本海).
  As of April 1, 2009, the city has an estimated population of 267,344 and the density of 499 persons per sq. km.  The total area is 536.17 sq. km, although most of the population lives in a small central area; by area the city is mostly agricultural plains and mountainous areas.  
  The city was incorporated under its present name on April 1, 1889, although it had been an important city in the region for at least 1000 years before that, serving as the capital of Echizen province during the Edo period (1603-1868).
  Fukui City was devastated by the Allied Bombing in 1945, and again by a major earthquake in 1948.  The city has regained its energy and vitality.  Thus, the city's official symbol is the phoenix.  The JR (Japan Railways) Hokuriku Shinkan-sen (bullet train) line from Kyoto through Fukui, Kanazawa, Toyama, and Nagano to Tokyo is far along in construction and will be completed in the next few years.

IMAGE

IMAGE NO.

DATA

2 Fukui Stations

ffk2009-001

(Sunday 15 March) JR Fukui Station (JR福井駅), 1-1-1 Chuo, Fukui City (福井市中央一丁目1番1号).

ffk2009-004

(Sunday 15 March) Echizen-tetsudo Fukui Station (えちぜん鉄道 福井駅), 1-801Hinode, Fukui City (福井市日之出一丁目801番地). It is located east of JR Fukui Station. This is convenient to go to Eihei-ji Temple.

Fukui-jo Castle Remains

Fukui-jo Castle (福井城) is a flatland castle located in Fukui, Fukui Prefecture, Japan. Katsuie Shibata (柴田勝家, 1522-1583) first built a castle here and named Kitanosho Castle (北ノ庄城) in 1575 but it was destroyed by Hideyoshi Hashiba (羽柴秀吉; later called Hideyoshi Toyotomi; 豊臣秀吉) after the Battle of Shizugatake (賤ヶ岳の戦) in 1583. Hideyasu Yuki (結城秀康, 1574-1607), 2nd son of Ieyasu Tokugawa (徳川 家康, 1543-1616), built a new Kitanosho Castle in 1606 after he was given the territory of Kitanosho (北ノ庄) by Ieyasu after Hideyasu helped Ieyasu in the Battle of Sekigahara (関ヶ原の戦). Hedeyasu built the castle north of an older castle known as Kitanosho Castle (北ノ庄城). It was christened Fukui-jo Castle by its next lord, Matsudaira Tadamasa (松平忠昌, 1598-1645), who became the lord of Kitanosho in 1624. The name comes from a well called Fukunoi (福居), or good luck well, the remains of which can still be seen today. The "tenshu" (天守) or donjon, of the castle was destroyed by fire in 1669. What remained of the castle continued to be used until the Meiji Restoration, when all the buildings were torn down, leaving the stone walls and the lord's palace. In 1945, the palace was destroyed by United States Army Air Force firebombing during World War II. Today, the castle is in ruins, and the prefectural government buildings stand on the grounds, though the palace was reconstructed in 1993.

ffk2009-008

(Sunday 15 March) Gohonjo-bashi Bridge (御本城橋), Fukui Castle Remains

ffk2009-009

(Sunday 15 March) Gohonjo-bashi Bridge (御本城橋), Fukui Castle Remains

ffk2009-010

(Sunday 15 March) Gohonjo-bashi Bridge (御本城橋), Fukui Castle Remains

ffk2009-011

(Sunday 15 March) "Uchi-bori" (内堀; the inner moat), Fukui Castle Remains

ffk2009-012

(Sunday 15 March) "Uchi-bori" (内堀; the inner moat), Fukui Castle Remains

ffk2009-013

(Sunday 15 March) "Uchi-bori" (内堀; the inner moat), Fukui Castle Remains

ffk2009-015

(Sunday 15 March) "Uchi-bori" (内堀; the inner moat), Fukui Castle Remains: Now the prefectural office building stands on the site.

Shibata-jinjya

Shibata-jinjya Shrine (柴田神社) or Kitanosho Castle Park (北の庄城址公園) is located at 1-21-17 Chuo, Fukui City (福井市中央一丁目21-17) where "Hon-maru" (本丸; donjon) of Shibata's castle probably stood. Before the foundation of the shrine, an old small stone shrine (石祠, date-unknown) enshrining Katsuie and Ichi placed here. It enshrines the tragic lord Katsuie Shibata (柴田 勝家, 1522-1583) and his wife O-Ichi-no-kata (お市の方, 1547?-1583), a younger sister of Nobunaga Oda (織田信長, 1534-1582). It was founded by Shungaku Matsudaira (松平春嶽, 1828-1890) and local people in 1890. The present building was reconstructed in 2002.

ffk2009-017

(Sunday 15 March) Stone Shrine Gate to Shibata-jinjya Shrine or Kitanosho Castle Park, 1-21-17 Chuo, Fukui City

ffk2009-018

(Sunday 15 March) Stone Shrine Gate to Shibata-jinjya Shrine or Kitanosho Castle Park, 1-21-17 Chuo, Fukui City

ffk2009-021

(Sunday 15 March) Stone Shrine Gate to Shibata-jinjya Shrine or Kitanosho Castle Park, 1-21-17 Chuo, Fukui City

ffk2009-023

(Sunday 15 March) Red Shrine Gate to Shibata-jinjya Shrine or Kitanosho Castle Park, 1-21-17 Chuo, Fukui City

ffk2009-026

(Sunday 15 March) "Chozu-bachi" (手水鉢; the washbasin), Shibata-jinjya Shrine or Kitanosho Castle Park, 1-21-17 Chuo, Fukui City

ffk2009-028

(Sunday 15 March) Statue of O-Ichi-no-kata, Shibata-jinjya Shrine or Kitanosho Castle Park, 1-21-17 Chuo, Fukui City

ffk2009-029

(Sunday 15 March) Memorial monument for O-Ichi-no-kata, Shibata-jinjya Shrine or Kitanosho Castle Park, 1-21-17 Chuo, Fukui City

ffk2009-030

(Sunday 15 March) Seated statue of Katsuie Shibata, Shibata-jinjya Shrine or Kitanosho Castle Park, 1-21-17 Chuo, Fukui City

ffk2009-032

(Sunday 15 March) Seated statue of Katsuie Shibata, Shibata-jinjya Shrine or Kitanosho Castle Park, 1-21-17 Chuo, Fukui City

ffk2009-033

(Sunday 15 March) Seated statue of Katsuie Shibata, Shibata-jinjya Shrine or Kitanosho Castle Park, 1-21-17 Chuo, Fukui City

ffk2009-035

(Sunday 15 March) A vision of Shibata's Kitanosho Castle, Shibata-jinjya Shrine or Kitanosho Castle Park, 1-21-17 Chuo, Fukui City

ffk2009-037

(Sunday 15 March) Shibata-jinjya Shrine or Kitanosho Castle Park, 1-21-17 Chuo, Fukui City

ffk2009-038

(Sunday 15 March) Information board of the stone fences of Shibata's Kitanosho Castle, Shibata-jinjya Shrine or Kitanosho Castle Park, 1-21-17 Chuo, Fukui City

ffk2009-039

(Sunday 15 March) The remains of the stone fences of Shibata's Kitanosho Castle, Shibata-jinjya Shrine or Kitanosho Castle Park, 1-21-17 Chuo, Fukui City

ffk2009-040

(Sunday 15 March) Information board of the moat of Fukui-jo Castle, Shibata-jinjya Shrine or Kitanosho Castle Park, 1-21-17 Chuo, Fukui City

ffk2009-041

(Sunday 15 March) The remains of the stone fences of Shibata's Kitanosho Castle, Shibata-jinjya Shrine or Kitanosho Castle Park, 1-21-17 Chuo, Fukui City

ffk2009-042

(Sunday 15 March) Shibata-jinjya Shrine or Kitanosho Castle Park, 1-21-17 Chuo, Fukui City

ffk2009-043

(Sunday 15 March) Shibata-jinjya Shrine or Kitanosho Castle Park, 1-21-17 Chuo, Fukui City

ffk2009-044

(Sunday 15 March) Information map of Shibata-jinjya Shrine or Kitanosho Castle Park, 1-21-17 Chuo, Fukui City

ffk2009-045

(Sunday 15 March) "Hai-den" (拝殿; the worshippers' hall), Shibata-jinjya Shrine or Kitanosho Castle Park, 1-21-17 Chuo, Fukui City

ffk2009-047

(Sunday 15 March) "Hai-den" (拝殿; the worshippers' hall), Shibata-jinjya Shrine or Kitanosho Castle Park, 1-21-17 Chuo, Fukui City

ffk2009-048

(Sunday 15 March) "Hai-den" (拝殿; the worshippers' hall), Shibata-jinjya Shrine or Kitanosho Castle Park, 1-21-17 Chuo, Fukui City

ffk2009-049

(Sunday 15 March) Kitanosho-jo-shi Shiryo-kan (北の庄城址資料館; Kitanosho Castle Museum), Shibata-jinjya Shrine or Kitanosho Castle Park, 1-21-17 Chuo, Fukui City

Sanai Hashimoto

Sanai Park (左内公園) was built for the memory of Sanai Hashimoto (橋本左内, 1834-1859). This place was part of the precinct of Choei-zan Zenkei-ji Temple (長栄山善慶寺), the Hashimoto family's family temple. It is located at 7 Sanai-cho, Fukui City (福井市左内町７). Sanai Hashimoto was born in Fukui City in 1834. In 1849, he went to Osaka and studied at Teki-jyuku (適塾) under instructions of Koan Ogata (緒方 洪庵, 1810-1863) and Seikei Sugita (杉田 成卿, 1817-1859). Coming back to Fukui, Sanai was employed by Shungaku Matsudaira (松平春嶽) and got involved in the movement to support Yoshinobu Hitotsubashi (一橋慶喜) as the candidate of the next Shogun. Sanai insisted that it was important for Japan to maintain the feudal system of the time, to introduce advanced technology in the Western countries and to fall in line with Russia. However, he was regarded as very dangerous by the conservative high-ranked officers of the Tokugawa Shogunate who claimed anti-alienism or exclusionism. In the 6th year of Ansen (安政6年) or AD 1859, when Sanai's master Shungaku was confined to his house, Lord Naosuke Ii (井伊直弼, 1816-1860), Chief Minister of the Shogun contrived to arrest Sanai on the ground of getting involved in choosing the successor of the Shogun. Sanai was beheaded at Kozukappara-keijo (小塚原刑場), Edo [Tokyo] at the age of 26.

ffk2009-054

(Sunday 15 March) Sanai Park, 7 Sanai-cho, Fukui City

ffk2009-055

(Sunday 15 March) Statue of Sanai Hashimoto, Sanai Park, 7 Sanai-cho, Fukui City

ffk2009-057

(Sunday 15 March) Sanai Park, 7 Sanai-cho, Fukui City

ffk2009-060

(Sunday 15 March) Sanai Park, 7 Sanai-cho, Fukui City

ffk2009-061

(Sunday 15 March) Information board of Basho Matsuo (松尾芭蕉, 1644-1694) and Oku-no-Hosomichi (『奥の細道』; The Narrow Road to the Deep North, 1702), Sanai Park, 7 Sanai-cho, Fukui City. On the trip Basho reunited Tosai Kambe (神戸 洞哉) and stayed at his house built here on the 11th of the 8th month of the 2nd year of Genroku (元禄2年) or AD Sept. 24, 1689. After staying one night here, Basho and Tosai went together to Tsuruga.

ffk2009-062

(Sunday 15 March) Information board of Basho Matsuo (松尾芭蕉, 1644-1694) and Oku-no-Hosomichi (『奥の細道』; The Narrow Road to the Deep North, 1702), Sanai Park, 7 Sanai-cho, Fukui City. On the trip Basho reunited Tosai Kambe (神戸 洞哉) and stayed at his house built here on the 11th of the 8th month of the 2nd year of Genroku (元禄2年) or AD Sept. 24, 1689. After staying one night here, Basho and Tosai went together to Tsuruga.

ffk2009-063

(Sunday 15 March) Information board of Basho Matsuo (松尾芭蕉, 1644-1694) and Oku-no-Hosomichi (『奥の細道』; The Narrow Road to the Deep North, 1702), Sanai Park, 7 Sanai-cho, Fukui City. On the trip Basho reunited Tosai Kambe (神戸 洞哉) and stayed at his house built here on the 11th of the 8th month of the 2nd year of Genroku (元禄2年) or AD Sept. 24, 1689. After staying one night here, Basho and Tosai went together to Tsuruga.

ffk2009-064

(Sunday 15 March) Basho Matsuo's haiku monument, Sanai Park, 7 Sanai-cho, Fukui City. Basho made this presumably on he 11th of the 8th month of the 2nd year of Genroku (元禄2年) or AD Sept. 24, 1689. Meigetsu no (名月の) Midokoro Towan (見所問[は]ん) Tabinesen (旅寝せん) (Not knowing where to stare Upon the harvest moon I stay at an inn.) (trans. Eishiro Ito)

ffk2009-065

(Sunday 15 March) Choei-zan Zenkei-ji Temple (長栄山善慶寺) or Ikegami-Honmon-ji Temple (池上本門寺) near Sanai Park. It belongs to the Nichiren-shu sect of Buddhism. Here Sanai Hashimoto rests in peace.

Saiko-ji Temple

Komyo-zan Saiko-ji Temple (光明山西光寺) was originally founded by Sadakage Asakura (朝倉貞景) in 1489 (1st year of Entoku: 延徳元年). It belongs to the Tendai-shu sect (天台宗). Katsuie Shibata moved the temple to the present site in 1576 or the 4th year of Tensho [天正４年]. It runs Saikoji Nursery School (西光寺保育園) now. The address is 8-21 Sanai-cho, Fukui City (福井市左内町8-21).

ffk2009-066

(Sunday 15 March) Entrance to Komyo-zan Saiko-ji Temple, 8-21 Sanai-cho, Fukui City

ffk2009-068

(Sunday 15 March) Statue of "Mikaeri-jizo" (みかえり地蔵; Looking-Back Jizo [Ksitigarbha]), Komyo-zan Saiko-ji Temple, 8-21 Sanai-cho, Fukui City

ffk2009-072

(Sunday 15 March) Statue of Kanzeon-bosatsu (観世音菩薩; Avalokitesvara), Komyo-zan Saiko-ji Temple, 8-21 Sanai-cho, Fukui City

ffk2009-073

(Sunday 15 March) Grave of Katsuie Shibata, Komyo-zan Saiko-ji Temple, 8-21 Sanai-cho, Fukui City

ffk2009-074

(Sunday 15 March) Grave of Katsuie Shibata, Komyo-zan Saiko-ji Temple, 8-21 Sanai-cho, Fukui City

ffk2009-077

(Sunday 15 March) Grave of Katsuie Shibata, Komyo-zan Saiko-ji Temple, 8-21 Sanai-cho, Fukui City

ffk2009-078

(Sunday 15 March) Grave of Katsuie Shibata, Komyo-zan Saiko-ji Temple, 8-21 Sanai-cho, Fukui City

ffk2009-079

(Sunday 15 March) The ume tree planted by Katsuie Shibata, Komyo-zan Saiko-ji Temple, 8-21 Sanai-cho, Fukui City

ffk2009-080

(Sunday 15 March) Grave of Katsuie Shibata, Komyo-zan Saiko-ji Temple, 8-21 Sanai-cho, Fukui City

ffk2009-082

(Sunday 15 March) Komyo-zan Saiko-ji Temple, 8-21 Sanai-cho, Fukui City

ffk2009-084

(Sunday 15 March) Saikoji Hoikuen (西光寺保育園; Saikoji Kindergarten) in the precincts of Komyo-zan Saiko-ji Temple, 8-21 Sanai-cho, Fukui City

Fujishima-jinjya Shrine

Fujishima-jinjya Shrine (藤島神社), 3-8-21 Keya, Fukui City (福井市毛矢3-8-21), was founded by Michiaki Matsudaira (松平 茂昭, 1836-1890) in 1870. It enshrines Yoshisada Nitta (新田義貞, 1301-1338) and his family who fought with Takauji Ashikaga (足利尊氏) for the Southern Dynasty established by Emperor Godaigo (後醍醐天皇). Yoshisada fell in 1338 in the Battle of Fujishima (藤島の戦い) with the Ashikaga Shogunate army, reportedly in Tomyoji-Nawate (燈明寺畷), or now called Nittazuka-cho, Fukui City (福井県福井市新田塚町).

ffk2009-085

(Sunday 15 March) Asuwayama Park (足羽山総合公園): Fujishima-jinjya Shrine is located on the hill of Asuwayama Hill (116.5 m).

ffk2009-086

(Sunday 15 March) Illustrated map of Asuwayama Park (足羽山総合公園).

ffk2009-088

(Sunday 15 March) Red Shrine Gate to Fujishima-jinjya Shrine, 3-8-21 Keya, Fukui City

ffk2009-090

(Sunday 15 March) Tablet of Fujishima-jinjya Shrine on the Red Shrine Gate

ffk2009-091

(Sunday 15 March) Stone Steps up to Fujishima-jinjya Shrine, 3-8-21 Keya, Fukui City

ffk2009-092

(Sunday 15 March) Stone Steps up to Fujishima-jinjya Shrine, 3-8-21 Keya, Fukui City

ffk2009-095

(Sunday 15 March) Stone Steps up to Fujishima-jinjya Shrine, 3-8-21 Keya, Fukui City

ffk2009-096

(Sunday 15 March) Fujishima-jinjya Shrine, 3-8-21 Keya, Fukui City

ffk2009-098

(Sunday 15 March) "Hai-den" (拝殿; Worshippers' Hall), Fujishima-jinjya Shrine, 3-8-21 Keya, Fukui City

ffk2009-099

(Sunday 15 March) "Hai-den" (拝殿; Worshippers' Hall), Fujishima-jinjya Shrine, 3-8-21 Keya, Fukui City

ffk2009-100

(Sunday 15 March) "Hai-den" (拝殿; Worshippers' Hall), Fujishima-jinjya Shrine, 3-8-21 Keya, Fukui City

ffk2009-103

(Sunday 15 March) Inside of "Hai-den" (拝殿; Worshippers' Hall), Fujishima-jinjya Shrine, 3-8-21 Keya, Fukui City

ffk2009-107

(Sunday 15 March) "Hon-den" (本殿; the Main Hall), Fujishima-jinjya Shrine, 3-8-21 Keya, Fukui City

ffk2009-108

(Sunday 15 March) 2nd Red Shrine Gate of Fujishima-jinjya Shrine, 3-8-21 Keya, Fukui City

ffk2009-109

(Sunday 15 March) A view from Fujishima-jinjya Shrine, 3-8-21 Keya, Fukui City

ffk2009-110

(Sunday 15 March) A view from Fujishima-jinjya Shrine, 3-8-21 Keya, Fukui City

        

Copyright (c) 2009 Eishiro Ito.  All rights reserved.