Usuzumi Cherry Tree

This park was built in honor of Murasaki Shikibu, the author of "The Tale of Genji" who lived for a year in Echizen with her father, Tametoki Fukuwara, governor of this area. The park was modeled after a nobleman's residence in the Heian period, and looks like a very old, rich, and elegant garden. A statue of Murasaki Shikibu stands in the park, gazing in the direction of Kyoto.

In 887 this shrine was built by Kino Tomonaka, who was exiled to Echizen area because of a false charge against the government. He continuously prayed to clear his name of the charges for some years, and eventually was allowed to return to the capital, Nara. To display his gratitude, he built this shrine, which is now a National Important Cultural Property.

It is said that this shrine has more than one thousand years of history. The shrine was rebuilt in 1996. There are two figures of male gods which are National Important Cultural Properties. A large rock god, Oiwasama, is enshrined here. Pure water called Ishigami-no-mizu is used by many people to wash their hands or rinse out their mouths. This water was once used as part of the town’s water supply.

During the famine from 1833 to 1844, many people starved to death. To remember these deaths, Gekkouji temple was built in 1847, and memorial services began to be held. One important part of this temple is the beautiful giant copper Buddha which is enshrined in the main hall. 500 stones on which ancestors’ names have been written are inside the body of the Buddha.

This shrine is located at the entrance of Mt. Hino, known as the Mt. Fuji of Echizen. The shrine and all of the mountain is thought to be a sacred place. There is another shrine at the top of the mountain. The Mt. Hino festival takes place during the summer. Dances are performed to honor the god of Mt. Hino. At night, participants climb Mt. Hino with lit torches to watch the sunrise from the top of the mountain. There is also an "ema" house where you can view wishes written in 1665 on wooden plaques with pictures of the seasonal harvest.

Echizen's historic area in downtown Takefu, it is filled with old warehouses with white painted walls. This area flourished in the Edo Era as a stopping point for transporting supplies between the Kansai area and the Hokuriku district. The line of warehouses belonged to ancient traders. Now they are maintained in the district activation program, and a must-see-spot in downtown. Outdoor concerts and festivals often take place in the open square in the center of this neighborhood.