Fukui Prefecture

Fukui Prefecture (福井県 Fukui-ken^?) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshū island.^[1]

The capital is the city of Fukui.^[2]

Fukui is home to Maruoka Castle, the oldest standing castle in Japan. It was built in 1576.

Fukui prefecture originally consisted of the old provinces of Wakasa and Echizen, before the prefecture was formed in 1871.^[3]

The province faces the Sea of Japan, and has a western part (formerly Wakasa) which is a narrow plain between the mountains and the sea, and a larger eastern part (formerly Echizen) with wider plains including the capital and most of the population. The mountain side of the eastern part has much snow in winter.

There are several nuclear power plants located along Wakasa Bay in Tsuruga which supply power to the Keihanshin metropolitan region. It has 14 reactors, the most of any prefecture.[1]

• Ichijōdani Asakura Family Historic Ruins is one of the most important cultural heritages in Japan.
• Eihei-ji is a serene temple offering training and education to Buddhist monks. Founded by Dogen Zenji in 1244, Eiheiji is located on a plot of land of about 330,000 m².
• Myōtsū-ji's Three-storied Pagoda and Main Hall are National Treasures of Japan.
• Fukui is home to Maruoka Castle, the oldest standing castle in Japan. It was built in 1576.
• Many dinosaur fossils have been excavated in Fukui and they can been seen at the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum.
• Residents of Fukui Prefecture have a distinctive accent, Fukui-ben.
• Fukui has long been a center for papermaking in Japan (along with Kyoto). Its Echizen Papermaking Cooperative is a world-famous collection of papermakers making paper in the traditional Echizen style.
• Fukui is also renowned for its clean water and crops which results in delicious sake, rice, and famous soba noodles.
• Sabae is known for producing 90% of Japan's domestically-made glasses.