Map ofMinami-Echizen TownŌshio Sta.

Kanazawa

Nanjo SA

Fukui

476

Imajo

Retreat Takura
Imajō Sta.

Tsuruga

Maizuru Line & Obama Linei Lin

Maizuru-Wakasa Expressway

Imajo Soba Dojo

MaibaraNagoya

Kyoto

ay

365

M ei s hi n E

Itadori-no-Shuku Post Town

Guidebook for Visitorssw

Minami-Imajō Sta.

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Sea of Japan

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re

s

Tomei Expressway

Shin-Osaka

From Tokyo or Nagoya(via Maibara Sta.)

476
From Tokyo via Kanazawa Sta.

Yashagaike Pond

From Osaka

By Airplane

Tsuruga Sta.
Tsuruga JCT
To Nagahama

Contact Information

By CarKomatsu Airport
Imajo IC on the Hokuriku Expressway

Tokaido Main Line & Limited
Express on Hokuriku Main Line

JR Tsuruga Sta.
Local Train

JR Kanazawa Sta.
JR Takefu Sta.
Hokuriku
Limited Express on
Local Train
Shinkansen Line Hokuriku Main Line
JR Tsuruga Sta.
Limited Express
Local Trainon Kosei Line
JR Komatsu Sta.

JR Takefu Sta.

Limited Express on
Hokuriku Main Line

JR Imajō Sta.

By Train365

einkansen Lin

Tokaido Sh

Imajo 365 Ski Resort
Kinome Passay

Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway

ine

Minami-Echizen Town

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Kos
e

Imajo-Shuku
Historic
207
Post Town

Former Site ofSomayama Castle

in L

Imajo ICMa

Yunoo Sta.

H o k uri k u E x pr e

kur
iku

Hanahasu Park &Hanahasu Onsen

305

Former Hokuriku
Main Line Tunnels

Komatsu Airport

Ho

Nanjō Sta.

Imajo-Shuku Historic Post Town

Hokuriku Shinkansen Line

8

Ukonke Museum(Kitamaebune Archives Center)

Hokkoku Kaido RouteAccess to Minami-Echizen Town

Local Train

10 min. drive from Imajo IC to Imajō Sta.

Minami-Echizen Town Tourism &Community Development Department

Minami-Echizen Town Imajo
Sightseeing Association

Minami-Echizen Town
Sightseeing Federation

29-1 Higashi-Daido, Minami-Echizen Town,
Nanjo District, Fukui Prefecture
Tel. (0778) 47-8002

74-3-1 Imajo, Minami-Echizen Town,
Nanjo District, Fukui Prefecture
Tel. (0778) 45-0074

28-2 Higashi-Daido, Minami-Echizen
Town, Nanjo District, Fukui Prefecture
Tel. (0778) 47-3414

Published March 2018

Once a Post Town forTravelers Coming and Going
The mountainous Imajo is considered one of
the most treacherous parts of the Hokuriku
region. The travelers who made their way
through this area would first rest up in thepost town of Imajo-shuku before taking on
the rest of the mountain pass. Vestiges ofthis post town's history can still be found to
this day, giving it a charming atmosphere.
Enjoy a stroll through town, taking in scenerythat travelers saw long ago.

Contents

Hokkoku Kaido RouteImajo-Shuku
Historic Post Town

Exploring the History of Imajo

P.3

Overview of Imajo-Shuku
Historic Post Town

P.5

There's something here in Imajo —Highlights of Imajo

P.7

from the moment I first arrived here,

Imajo's Traditional Food Culture

P.9

I felt a connection that I cannot describe.

A Closer Look at Imajo

P.11

Nearby Sightseeing Destinations

P.13

From Koku Henreki, by Shugoro Yamamoto

Exploring the History of Imajo

Exploring the History of Imajo

Prosperity as One of Echizen's
Finest Post Towns

AsouzuHokkoku Kaido Route

MizuochiOiwakeFukui

Tsuruga

Imajo

History Lesson!

Kami-Sabae

Nakasendo RouteNihonbashi

It's About 31.2 km
from Fukui to Imajo

Fuchu

Kinomoto
Sekigahara
Toriimoto

Kyoto
Otsu

Hokuriku

Tokaido Route

Wakimoto
Sabanami
Yamanaka
Pass

Imajo-Shuku
Historic
Post Town

The Three Mountain Passes

oku

okk

te H
o Rou

kan

kio
Wa

Route

Kinomoto

From Post Town toRailroad Town

The Townscape of Imajo-Shuku

YamanakaPass

The route through Yamanaka Pass wasimmortalized by the famous poet Otomo no
Yakamochi, as collected in the Man'yoshu,
earning it the nickname “the Man'yo road.”

KinomePass

This route was first established in the year
830. Many famous figures from Japanese
history traveled this route, including thewriter Murasaki Shikibu, the monk Shinran,
the armies of the warlords Oda Nobunaga
and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and the poet
Matsuo Basho.

Tochinoki
Pass

Around the year 1578, Shibata Katsuie
maintained this route as the shortest way toand from Azuchi Castle, where Oda
Nobunaga lived. This became a major routefor both military and economic affairs for the
Hokuriku region, leading it to become known
as the Hokkoku Kaido Route.

u KaidHokurikudo

Kyoto, Tsuruga & Wakasa

Tochinoki Pass

TsurugaYunoo

Kyoto, Ise & Edo Hokkok

Kinome Pass

Imajo, the Entryway
to Hokuriku
Imajo, one of the most treacherous parts of the Hokuriku
region, is located at what was once the southern borderof the Fukui Domain. Whenever travelers from Kyoto
and Edo (now Tokyo) came to the Hokuriku region fromthe south, they always had to travel through Imajo,
whether via Yamanaka Pass, Kinome Pass, or Tochinoki
Pass. Because of its location, beyond all three of thesemountain passes, Imajo has been known for ages as“the Entryway to Hokuriku.”

Back during the Edo era (1603–1868),
the general rule of thumb for travelers
was that men could travel about 39 km
per day, and that women could travel
about 31.2 km, so many travelers wholeft Fukui early in the morning would
stay overnight in Imajo.

Imajuku

Imajo-shuku is located along a forbidding mountain pass, andvirtually everyone who traveled between Echizen and Kyoto or Edo(now Tokyo) would pass through this post town. A travel diary fromthe Edo era (1603–1868) mentions the bustling atmosphere of
Imajo-shuku, with tea shops selling foods like soba noodles, andshopkeepers calling out to invite travelers into their businesses. A
record from near the end of Japan’s feudal era indicates that
Imajo-shuku had 55 inns, 15 tea shops, 15 sake shops, and more,suggesting it was quite a large and prosperous post town. In
addition, the number of horses mandated to be kept here wasabout the same as at major post towns on other main routes
through the country, such as the Tokaido Route, making it clear that
this was a very important post town.

The first lord of the Fukui Domain, Yuki Hideyasu, paid close
attention to defending Imajo-shuku as a critical post town. The town
was built along the road, and at the center of Imajo-shuku were
honjin and wakihonjin accommodations for important travelers likefeudal lords, toiyaba administrative relay points for people andhorses, and other important facilities.
Aspects like the sections the town is divided into and the width of
the road remain all but unchanged since its heyday, allowing
visitors to enjoy its old-fashioned
atmosphere even today.

Kannonmachi
Kami-machi

Naka-machi

Deep, Narrow
Townhouses

KaneoriTownhouses were taxed basedon how wide their fronts were, so
narrow townhouses reminiscentof the teeth of a comb became
the norm.

The town was designed with
defense in mind — these sharp
corners were meant to prevent
people from being able to see
too far into the distance.

Furu-machi
Shin-machi

During the Meiji era (1868–1912), thepost town system was abolished, andrickshaws and carts became methodsof ground transport. As a result, flatroads without too many hills became
increasingly important, and in 1888,
the new National Route (modern-day
National Route 8) was opened. Traffic
through Imajo dwindled, and the area
lost its former liveliness.
However, in 1896, the railroad
opened, connecting Tsuruga to Fukui.
In order for trains to make it throughthe mountain pass between Imajo and
Tsuruga, the Hokuriku region's mostdifficult rail passage, they would be
split and steam locomotives would be
added at the Imajo railroad yard,
making it an important stop along theway. As times changed and Japan
modernized, Imajo was reborn as arailroad town, and its livelinessreturned.

Exploring the History of Imajo

3

Fukui

4

ay

Byw

Former Site of
Hitching Grounds

Walking around Imajo with a volunteer
guide makes a great way to get abetter look at this historic post town.
Whether you're interested in history,sake brewing, or the railroad, there's
sure to be a plan you'll findfascinating. (Reservations required;guiding available in Japanese only)

2

aido
uK

kok

Kitamura Zenroku
Residence

Former Site of Toiyaba
Administrative Relay Point

1

oku

kk
Ho

Temples and shrines are located all throughout Imajo. Manyof the shrines are old enough that they date back to a time
when Shinto and Buddhism weren't clearly divided, while
the temples represent many different sects of Buddhism —a sign of the town’s respect for the various faiths of the many
travelers who passed through.

Hakukoma
Brewery

Sake

Hatakeyama
Brewery

Sake

3

K

o
aid

2

2

HonjinShowa
KaikanR

3

Former Siteof Onoya

2

Sake

Former Site of
Wakihonjin

P.9

e
out

3
2
Former Site ofEmonnosuke

FormerWakasaya Inn

Former Residenceof Kyoto Jingoro

P.7

P.7

Former Nishio
Mozaemon Residence

Hokk

oku K

aido

Bends in the road designed
to prevent people from seeing
too far into the distance

Rout

e

Kaneori

Former Site of
Ofudaba Money
Exchange

The Fukui Domain had a system where
only paper money issued by the domain
itself was allowed, so travelers andmerchants passing through this post
town at the domain's southern borderwould convert their gold and silver into
paper money on their way in, or convert
their Fukui Domain money into gold andsilver on their way out.

6

Kaneori

P.8

Entrance to Imajo-Shuku

Ganmanji Temple

P.9

jō Sta.

JR ImaP.9

Former Site of

Wakihonjin

365

1

Former Site of(Kotokuen Garden)

Kitazen Brewery
HiratsukayateRouTemple & Shrine Visit Route…and more!

Contact: Minami-Echizen Town
Imajo Sightseeing Association
Tel. (0778) 45-0074

P.9

Zenshoji
TempleFormerTaniyaInari Shrine

Kaneori

Railroad
History

Horiguchi Brewery

Toiyaba administrative relay points
were incredibly important facilities atpost towns. These relay points served
to ensure that horses, letters, goods,
and more made their way to the next
post town.

Entrance to
Imajo-Shuku

P.8

Fukugonji Temple

Shoryuji Temple
Shinra Shrine

Sake

Visit the Temples andShrines of Imajo-Shuku

Jonenji
TemplePost Town
History

Seishinji Temple

The Tokugawa shogunate governmentor the Fukui Domain's feudal
government set aside and preserved a
specific place for posting writtenprohibitions. There was also a reservoir
nearby, to help prevent the public
notice board from being burned down in
the event of a fire.

Hok
P.8

Kannon-do Hall

Meiji-den(Kaga-Honjin)

Accommodations built as a reserve for thehonjin. Because it was often used by the
Kaga Domain, it came to be known by thenickname “Kaga-Honjin.”

Former Site of Honjin
A honjin was a special type of accommodations meant for court
nobles, shogunate government bureaucrats, feudal lords, andother important travelers. This honjin was first managed by Goto
Kakuzaemon in 1718, by order of the Fukui Domain. With some
330 m² of floor space, it was a truly magnificent mansion. Emperor
Meiji stayed here during his 1878 visit to the Hokuriku region. To
commemorate this, in 1932, Meiji-den was built here, and thesurrounding area became Kotokuen Garden.

Imajo-Shuku Night Lantern

365

Overview of Imajo-Shuku Historic Post Town

Former Site of
Public Notice Board

1

Junction of the
Hokurikudo andHokkoku Kaido Routes

Bunsei Guidepost

Togakuji Temple

ティアガイ
ラン

ド

N

Horses were kept hitched here.
Imajo-shuku was required to keep
24 post-horses ready at all times.
These grounds were about 70
meters on each side, andsurrounded by earthwork
fortifications.

観
今庄 光

ボ

Sainenji Temple

With the Hinogawa river to the east and the mountains to the west, the roadgently curves along the natural features. The post town of Imajo-shuku feels
as though it was built to fill the space between the temples and shrines in thefoothills and the railroad tracks along the river.

▲

Overview of Imajo-Shuku
Historic Post Town

Explore Imajo with a Volunteer Guide

Kashoin Temple

Route

Overview of Imajo-Shuku Historic Post Town

This Kilometer-Long Post Town
Lives On to This Day

Hoku
rikud
o

5

Shirahige Shrine

The Architectureof Imajo-Shuku

Highlight 2

Traditional Houses of Imajo
Many of the old machiya townhouses in Imajo are built in astyle called “hira-iri,” with the surface of the roof visible fromthe front. Features like the udatsu and earthen walls helped
prevent fires from spreading from adjacent houses, while
the thick nobori-bari beams helped the roofs withstand theheavy snows. The fronts also feature latticework on thewalls and doors.

Sode-Udatsu
Mushiko-Koshi Window

Former Wakasaya Inn

Nationally Registered
Tangible Cultural Property

Prefecturally DesignatedTangible Cultural Property
Built during the Tenpo era(1830–1844)

Among the old machiya townhouses in Imajo-shuku, thisone stands out in particular. During the Edo era(1603–1868), it was used for sake brewing, and its
owner was ordered by the Fukui Domain to operate it asa wakihonjin, for use as accommodations, because it
was a large and luxurious house belonging to one of thepreeminent old families of Imajo-shuku. This is one ofthe oldest machiya townhouses in the prefecture, and itfeatures indications of the family's considerable financesand concern for disasters, such as
the udatsu on each end of theroof and the fireproofing of
the outer walls.

Traces of the Past
A Notch Carved by a Swordduring the Mito Rebellion
In 1864, Takeda Kounsai and his groupof rebels, the Tengu-to, arrived in
Imajo-shuku on December 9, in supportof the “revere the emperor, expel thebarbarians” policy. The people of
Imajo-shuku hid from the Tengu-to infear, and a hush is said to have fallen
over the town. At the former residenceof Kyoto Jingoro, there is still a notch
carved into the wood by the sword of amasterless samurai who got drunk anda bit too spirited. Not long later, theTengu-to surrendered in Tsuruga.

Wakichi Tanaka,
a Great Man of Imajo

Highlight 3“Be virtuousand eccentric.”

Right: Kyoto, Ise, Edo”

The Heritageof Imajo

Bunsei Guidepost

Wakichi Tanaka (1876–1933) contributed greatly to
Imajo, working with partners to build up various
businesses and encourage local economic
development. In his later years, he used his own money
to fund both the construction of the Showa Kaikan andthe maintenance of the former site of the honjin, andestablished the Keijunkai foundation to help improveeducation and welfare in society.

at the Junction of the
Hokurikudo and Hokkoku
Kaido Routes

Town-Designated Historic Site

Wakichi Tanaka“Days spent worrying about otherpeople's expectations are days
spent accomplishing nothing.”“Left: Kyoto, Tsuruga, Wakasa“If one can no longer make use of theriches received from society, one mustthen pay society back without regret.”This guidepost, carved from Fukui's
distinctive shakudani stone, was erected herein 1830 to mark the junction of the
Hokurikudo Route (Kinome Pass) and the
Hokkoku Kaido Route (Tochinoki Pass). The
capstone and the space for a lantern at the
top are quite unusual. The carvings on it read
“Right: Road to Kyoto, Tsuruga, Wakasa” and“Left: Road to Kyoto, Ise, Edo.”

Wakichi Tanaka's
Achievements

Built during the Tenpo era (1830–1844)

Unlike the honjin and wakihonjin, inns like these offered meals
and a place to rest for ordinary travelers. By the end of Japan’s
feudal era, Imajo-shuku had 55 inns like this, and Wakasaya
was one of the largest. Today, it is maintained by a local
nonprofit organization, and it serves as a base for community
development activities.

Showa Kaikan
Sword Damage at the Former
Residence of Kyoto Jingoro

Nationally Registered
Tangible Cultural
Property

Built in 1930 and privately funded by Wakichi Tanaka, the Showa
Kaikan is located at the former site of the wakihonjin, and serves
as a base for social education. The building features a three-story
reinforced concrete structure that was groundbreaking for its time,
and the facility hosted many groups as a study and training facility
with overnight accommodations. Later, it was used as Imajo's townhall, and it still serves the town to this day, as both a community
center and a place for people in the region to get together.

Meiji-Den &Kotokuen
GardenNationally Registered
Tangible Cultural Properties

In 1932, Wakichi Tanaka had the room in the
honjin used for Emperor Meiji's overnight stay
moved and rebuilt, and had Meiji-den built
here. He also had the front garden maintained
as Kotokuen Garden.

Highlights of Imajo

7

The Peopleof Imajo

Nobori-Bari
Beams

Hon-Udatsu

Former Residence of
Kyoto Jingoro

Highlights of Imajo

Highlights of Imajo

Highlight 1

8Imajo's Traditional Food Culture

Imajo's Traditional Food Culture
9

Horiguchi Brewery

Kitazen Brewery

Established in 1618. Theirsignature sake, Narihisago,
is named for a line from apoem by the Fukui poet
Tachibana Akemi.

Established in 1716. A
brewery owned by the
Kitamura family, who ran theofudaba money exchange,
where travelers would
convert gold and silver into
the Fukui Domain's paper
money and vice versa. Theirsignature sake, Hijiri no
Miyo, is said to have been
named by a high priest from
Kyoto, as a prayer for peace.

The Taste of Travelin Hokuriku

Food forTravelers

Imajo Dried
Persimmons
Perfect for Revitalizing Travelers
Imajo's dried persimmons have 450 years of history, andserved as a valuable and convenient food for travelers
along the Hokkoku Kaido Route: it was said that, nomatter how hungry you were, “if you eat one, you canwalk a ri (3.9 km), and if you eat three, you can walk
three ri (11.7 km).” Imajo’s unusual drying technique,which involves smoking the persimmons, gives them adistinctive pleasant texture and mellow sweetness.

Imajo's Four Sake Breweries

Imajo & Sake
Imajo's local environment offers all of the ingredients for
great sake: pure spring water from the surrounding
mountains, excellent rice, and incredibly cold winters. The
sake of this prosperous post town served to quench thethirsts of travelers long ago, with fifteen sake shops here
back in the Edo era (1603–1868). Today, there are still four
sake breweries along a roughly one-kilometer stretch ofroad, still producing sake the old-fashioned way in their
historic buildings.

Hakukoma

Yuki
KiraraHakukoma Brewery

Hatakeyama Brewery

Imajo & Soba Noodles

Established in 1697. This
brewery was operated by the
Kyoto family, who first began
after being issued a license
to brew sake by themagistrate's office of theTokugawa shogunate. Today,
they still use the techniques
handed down forgenerations, to brew sakelike Hakukoma.

Established in 1835. This
brewery’s origins trace backto homemade cloudy nigori
sake served at the founders’inn, leading them to focus
instead on brewing. Their
Yuki Kirara and Momokibune
are both well known, for thecare put into them by theirbrewer.

With its significant temperature differences between days and nights,
Imajo has long been a major producer of buckwheat. As a result,buckwheat plays a major role in the local food culture, to the point
where it was considered a vital everyday ingredient.
Imajo's soba noodles are known for their firm texture and theirdelicious flavor. As this post town developed into a railroad town, andon through today, these noodles have been a highlight of Imajo formany travelers. Each May, the town holds the Imajo Soba Festival, asa chance for locals to show off their noodle-making skills.

ChameshiAround 1930, astanding-room-only soba
noodle shop opened on theplatform of Imajō Station.
Travelers could enjoy a meal
while waiting for their trains,
taking home memories of
Imajo's delicious soba noodles.

Home Cooking Introduced by Travelers
Chameshi, or “tea rice,” is made by mixing a
combination of medium-grain rice and mochi rice withsoy beans, then cooking it with tea (bancha coarse tea).
It is believed that this dish originated as Nara chameshi,
at temples like Todaiji and Kofukuji in Nara, and travelers
brought this dish to Imajo. This dish is a beloved andindispensable part of important occasions in Imajo, fromweddings to funerals, and is readily available forpurchase during events and at souvenir shops.

Imajo's Traditional Food Culture

The Perfect
Hijiri
Narihisagono MiyoEnvironment
for Brewing

10

A Closer Look at Imajo

Town-Designated Historic Site

Former Site of Hiuchi Castle & Hiking Trails
Higuchi Castle once stood at the 270-meter peak of Mt. Atago. Built by Nishina Morihiro in1183 by order of Kiso no Yoshinaka, to defend against the Taira Clan's army, this castle wasdescribed in the Genpei Sesuiki as “the foremost castle of the Hokurikudo Route.” Today, aportion of the castle’s stone walls and dry moat can still be seen. The mountaintops offer
spectacular views of the entire post town, as well, so the fairly easy hiking trails from Shinra
Shrine to the former site of Hiuchi Castle and Mt. Fujikura are quite popular.
Mt. Fujikura
643.5mMt. Nabekura
516m

11

Mt. Atago
270m

A Tradition ofDancing

Former Site of Hiuchi Castle

This traditional dance began some 1,100 years ago as adance performed by children at a temple in the westernpart of town; as Imajo-shuku flourished as a post town,
this became a bon-odori dance. Travelers and locals
alike would dance all through the night; today, thedancers wear various old-fashioned costumes, dressing
up as merchants, travelers, samurai, monks, and more to
perform this dance at events like the Imajo Summer
Festival and the Kaido Roman Imajo-Shuku Festival.

Start of Yunoo Pass Trail → Mt. Fujikura

About 4.5 km

Imajō Sta.

Yunoo
ShrineShirahige Shrine

Get More fromYour Walk around Town!
Learn about Imajo's
History at

Imajō Station

365

Semi-Fresh Soba Noodles

Takano Yoshibei Shoten Umeboshi
Pickled Plum Paste & Kobai-Eki Syrup

Yunoo Pass

Shinra Shrine

Prefecturally Designated Intangible Folk Cultural Property

Haneso-Odori Dance

About 2.7 km

Koboji
TempleKannon-do Hall
Inari Shrine

Shinra Shrine → Mt. Fujikura

BelovedTreats forCenturies

View of Imajo from the Former
Site of Hiuchi Castle

Imajo Local History Museum
Learn about local history, including Imajo’s
transition from being a post town to being arail town. The 1:45 scale diorama of the old
Imajō Station is a must-see!

Imajo Sobakko

Made with Buckwheat from Imajo

A Sweet New
Treat from Imajo

Enjoy the flavor of Imajo
soba noodles at home.
The stone-ground buckwheat
flour gives these noodles
their delicious flavor andaroma.

Japanese-style sweets
made with aromatic
Imajo buckwheat.

Souvenirs
from
ImajoShuku

A Deliciously
SophisticatedDessert for Adults

Post Town Sake Assortment

An assortment of sake from Imajo's four
breweries, all of which date back to the
Edo era (1603–1868). The labels feature
the names of the breweries' shops.

Imajo Soba Festival
at Imajo 365 Ski Resort
Each year, some twenty local soba
noodle shops gather here to show
off their specialties. Visitors canenjoy comparing the rustic flavorsof each shop's Imajo soba
noodles.

Sep.

Imajō Station Is
Perfect for
Souvenir Shopping!

Takano Yoshibei Shoten's sweet umeboshi pickled plum
paste and Kobai-eki syrup (the liquid produced while
pickling the plums) have been favorites since the Edo era(1603–1868), and are still made in the same old-fashioned
earthen-walled storehouse. The Takano family still makes
them the same way as when they ran an inn during theEdo era: as the story goes, this shop got its start making
these treats from ume plums for inn guests.

Historic Brewery Quartet

May

The souvenir shop at Imajō
Station offers a great
selection of everythingfrom local sake to popular
sweets.

Hours:

9:00 to 17:00

Kaido Roman Imajo-Shuku Festival
throughout Imajo-shuku

Smoked Dried
Persimmon Chocolates
Smoked dried persimmons are combinedwith cocoa and liquor for a grown-up
treat. Awarded the highest honors by theninth Fukui Prefectural Excellent Tourism
Souvenir Product Review Board.

The entire kilometer-long stretchof road is closed off to vehicles,
making it a great place to walkaround and enjoy Imajo soba
noodles, local sake, and more, or
watch the Haneso-Odori dance!

Local Sweets Made with Local Sake
Kura no Castella
Based on an idea from local junior highschool students, this moist, tender
castella cake is soaked with syrup
made with local sake from Imajo.

Shuku no Ichi Market
at Showa Kaikan
These fun regularly-scheduled
markets offer a chance to buy
local vegetables or preparedfoods, or to try making crafts.

A Closer Look at Imajo

A Closer Look at Imajo

A Stroll through History

4th Sun. in

Imajo Events

A Standard
among Souvenirs

12Nearby Sightseeing
Destinations

Nearby Sightseeing Destinations

The Ukon Family Was One of the Five Biggest
Shipowners on the Sea of Japan
From the late Edo era (1603–1868) to the middle of the Meiji
era (1868–1912), the Kitamaebune trading ships played a hugerole in transporting both goods and culture over the Sea ofJapan and the Seto Inland Sea, and in the Osaka region. This
museum is dedicated to these ships. In addition, Kono Kitamae
Senshu Dori Street runs north of the Ukonke Museum, andthere you'll find the old residences of shipowners and sailors,offering a glimpse at the days when the Kitamaebune trading
ships were in their prime. In 2017, these received Japan
Heritage certification, as the “Kitamaebune Port of Call &Shipowner Village.”
Hours
ClosedAdmission

9:00 to 16:00
Wednesdays and new year holidays (Dec. 29 to Jan. 3)
Adults (ages 15 and up) ¥500 (¥450 each for groups)
Children (ages 6–14)¥300 (¥270 each for groups)

25-minute drive from Imajo-shuku

Hanahasu Park

Former Hokuriku Main Line Tunnels

Minami-Echizen: The Town of Lotus Flowers
Minami-Echizen Town has more land area dedicated to growing lotus
flowers than anywhere else in Japan. Hanahasu Park features some
130 varieties of lotus flowers from around the world, and the flowers
blossom in July and August, creating magical scenery for visitors toenjoy.
The adjacent Hanahasu Onsen Somayama offers overnightaccommodations and relaxing baths, even for non-overnight guests.
Best Time to Visit!

Lotus Festival

Jul. Aug.

Drink a beverage through a lotus stem “straw,” try lotus
dyeing, take part in a lotus flower photo shoot, andmore! Lots of fun lotus flower-themed events.

Railroad Tunnels from the Meiji Era
These railroad tunnels were once used to connect
Minami-Echizen Town to Tsuruga City. Twelve
tunnels were constructed to make it through themost difficult area of the Hokuriku region - themountain pass between Imajo and Tsuruga - andten of them still remain today. Pass through thesedark, narrow tunnels and you'll have a better
appreciation of what rail travel was like long ago,
back when these were built. In more recent years,
these have come to be appreciated as a valuablepart of Japan's modernization, and the Japan
Society of Civil Engineers has awarded thesetunnels Civil Engineering Heritage recognition.
They have also been nationally registered as
Tangible Cultural Properties.

Kinome Pass
Dividing Fukui Prefecture into Northand South
After the Hokurikudo Route was first establishedin the year 830, many famous figures from
history traveled through this mountain pass.
30-minute drive from Imajo-shuku

Itadori-no-Shuku Post Town
The Entrance to Echizen ProvinceThis post town featured a sekisho checkpoint
during the Edo era (1603–1868). Even today,
there are still four thatched-roof houses here,
all well over a century old.
15-minute drive from Imajo-shuku

Nearby Sightseeing Destinations

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Ukonke Museum(Kitamaebune Archives Center)14

15-minute drive from Imajo-shuku

10-minute drive from Imajo-shuku

Imajo Soba Dojo
The Perfect Place to Makeand Eat Imajo Soba Noodles
Fun for kids and adults alike! Make your own
authentic soba noodles from stone-groundbuckwheat flour, grated yamaimo yam, andspring water.
5-minute drive from Imajo-shuku

Imajo 365 Ski Resort
A Ski Resort with Hot Spring Baths
Fukui's nearest ski resort to the Kansai area.
Enjoy breathtaking mountaintop views of the Sea
of Japan and the Hakusan mountain range, andrelax at the resort's hot spring baths and overnightaccommodations.
15-minute drive from Imajo-shuku