Echizen Province
By its name, the original Echizen-Fuchū Castle is thought to have been built on the "Fuchū", or site of the Nara period provincial capital of Echizen Province. This fortified residence was subsequently used by the "Shugo", or military governors of the province in the Heian through Kamakura period. However, with the rise of the Asakura clan to power, the center of government for Echizen Province shifted to Ichijōdani, and the Asakura appointed a local magistrate who resided at Fuchū.