HOME > Japan’s Local Treasures > Ichijodani Asakura Clan Ruins
Travel back in time to the samurai era
Fukui Prefecture
More than 500 years ago, the powerful Asakura family ruled over the province of Echizen (present-day Fukui Prefecture) for five generations. Several centuries later, the Ichijodani Asakura Clan Ruins have become a must-see for Japanese history buffs. The samurai-era townscape has been partially reconstructed and was designated a Japan Heritage Site in 2019.
Here you can enter the homes of samurai, merchants, and craftsmen, several of which are fully furnished and feature lifelike mannequins offering a glimpse into lifestyles of the time. Borrow a tablet to get an idea of what the castle town used to look like via AR and to access more information about the site in English.
Every year in August, the Echizen Sengoku Festival and the Echizen Asakura Manto Night take place on the ruins. This colorful recreation of the Warring States era features a historical parade of warriors in full uniform and the firing of vintage rifles, followed by the lighting of over 15,000 candles at night.
How to get there
Take the express train from Shin-Osaka Station to Fukui Station, which takes about 1 hour and 50 minutes. Then, take the Ichijōdani Asakura Ruins bus from the east exit of Fukui Station to Ichijo Restaurant-mae, which take about 20 minutes. The ruins are about a 10-minute walk from the bus stop.
Kidonouchi-cho, Fukui-shi, Fukui-ken
