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Visiting Echizen Ono Castle in a cheerful mood after enjoying sake

2019.05.23

Places to visit

As I mentioned in my last blog, I had some sake at the sake brewery. And after that, I visited the Echizen Ono Castle. It was an enjoyable visiting because the day was sunny, and I could walk in a happy mood thanks to sake.

 

It took an about 10-minute walk from Shichiken Street to the entrance of the path to the castle and about 15-minute walk to get the castle. On the way, there are not only steps but also slopes, so you can choose depending on your physical strength.

 

　
The Echizen Ono Castle is a low mountain castle that built on the 249 meters high Mt. Kameyama in Ono Basin. That's why visiting the castle is called "climb Mt. Kameyama" by the local people. Nagachika Kanamori took five years to build the castle and completed in 1575. The current castle was reconstructed in 1968.

 

　
Recently, the castle has been called "The castle in the sky". To view the castle in the sea of clouds, you need to climb Mt. Inuyama (324 meters high), where is located one kilometer to the west from the castle. But the sea of clouds emerges only under certain conditions. I would like to see "The castle in the sky" with my own eyes someday. That must be mystical. (H.S)

 


On the body of the train for Ono, the Echizen Ono Castle is painted.

 


There is a natural spring near the Echizen Ono Yui Station. It was very warm and I was thirsty, so I immediately drank it, which was cold and mild.

 


There are a few entrances to the Echizen Ono Castle. I climbed from the south one that has the castle gate.

 


The Echizen Ono Castle appeared in front of me. I looked a castle closely for the first time in a few years.

 


Ono City viewed from the castle

 


The back of the admission ticket is certificate for entrance the castle.

Shichiken Street in Ono City with old-style atmosphere

2019.04.17

Places to visit

The other day, I went to Ono City to see a lecture and stopped by the Shichiken Street on my way back.

 

The street is famous for its morning market. But after the morning market, you can enjoy strolling the street. There are traditional townhouses on the stone-paved road and you can feel a quiet atmosphere of the castle town.

 

If I came to the Schiken Street, I must buy special sweet potato cakes. So I went to the Japanese confectionery shop and I heard that they would finish selling of the sweet potato cakes on April 20th and I was able to buy them in time.

 

Also, I could get sake "Hanagaki" because its sake brewery and shop was close by. In the sake shop, there remains an old tea ceremony room's entrance, so if you go to the shop, please pay attention to it. And, they will hold "Hanagaki Sake Brewery Festival" on May 11th and 12th. (H.S)

 


The sake shop's window
There is dynamic calligraphy of "Hanagaki".
And the display is for spring.

 


The appearance of the sake brewery
The ball made with cedar leaves was hung, which announced that new sake has produced.

 


The street is lined with houses with lattice doors.

 


Ono has abundant groundwater.
There is one here, too.

 


I bought this genuine-rice non-filtered raw sake.
It was fresh and had the deliciousness of rice, which made me feel happy. 　

I'm proud that we have Varve Museum in Fukui Prefecture

2019.04.12

Places to visit


Fukui Prefectural Varve Museum (center)

 


Fukui Prefectural Varve Museum’s entrance

 


Lake Mikata and Lake Suigetsu. The Varve Museum is located in the circle at the bottom right.

 


Professor Nakagawa explaining in front of samples of varves

 

How interesting science is!

 

Last month, I participated in a guided tour by a paleoclimatology professor Takeshi Nakagawa at the Fukui Prefectural Varve Museum. According to Nakagawa, the museum is an "edgy" facility made only to show 45-meter soil lump.

 

In fact, it's the only museum in the world that shows the full varves piled up for 70,000 years taken from the bottom of the Lake Suigetsu, one of the Five Lakes of Mikata.

 

The varves of the Lake Suigetsu have been created because some conditions met miraclulously. There was a hard effort to collect and prepare the samples. And dynamic changes of the earth can be seen from the samples.

 

I was fascinated by the professor's talk and moved by the point of view as a scientist who works on a large scale phenomenon.

 

And, I felt proud that Fukui Prefecture made this facility.
T.S

 

Fukui Prefectural Varve Museum official website

Cherry blossom viewing party at Nishiyama Park

2019.04.09

Places to visit

I joined the cherry blossom viewing party at the Nishiyama Park, Sabae City.

 

The Nishiyama Park is famous for azaleas and also it is a great cherry blossom viewing spot that has about 1,000 cherry trees.

 

Unfortunately, it was cloudy that day, and perhaps for that reason, it was not too crowded for a Sunday, so I could enjoy leisurely cherry blossom viewing.

 

There is a roofed space that has tables and chairs in the Nishiyama Park, so if it rains, you don't need to worry. Also, food stalls are set up a lot and there are spacious public restrooms thereby, which are convenient for visitors.

 

If you take a Fukutetsu train in front of Fukui Station, One Day Pass for Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays is a saving. (H.S)

 


Looking at the lawn area from the north near Nishiyama Bridge

 


View from the south
Thick growth of small trees on the nearer side are azaleas.
In May, around here is covered with azalea blossoms.

 


The party was a potluck.

 


First, we toasted with red wine.

 


The white wine was good, too.

 


Headed to Nishiyama Zoo located in high place in the park to see lesser pandas while viewing the cherry blossoms.

 


Many lesser pandas were taking a nap, but Milky (female), which was busy with grooming herself, finally looked over here and I managed to take this photo. She was born on July 7th, so she was named Milky from Milky Way of Tanabata: the Star Festival (July 7th).

Feeling the Charms of Fukui / The 100 Hometown Views of Fukui

2019.03.27

Places to visit

As we've been introducing many great places in Fukui Prefecture, there's

so much to see and experience here. Today, I would like to tell you about

the charms of Fukui Prefecture and "the 100 hometown views of Fukui".

 

＊"The 100 hometown views of Fukui" is a collection of 100 of beautiful places

in Fukui Prefecture. The purposes are not only to promote the prefecture to

people in and out of the prefecture, but it's also for the people from the prefecture

to be proud of our hometown. Another purpose of this collection to encourage

the Fukui natives who had left the prefecture to return to the prefecture.

Mr. Ugyen Dorji's wife and sister from Bhutan

In Fukui, we have many old towns with the history and cultural traditions.

 

 

Echizen coast and its sunset
the large rice field in Ono city adosojitoho area where is surrounded by mountains
sashimi
young crab

We're surrounded by the ocean, mountains, rivers and lakes,

so we enjoy the fresh seafoods, fish, vegetables that are amazing.

 

 

The panel exhibition of

The panel exhibition of "the 100 hometown views of Fukui" was held

on March 15th and 16th at Aossa, a shopping mall near Fukui station.

The photographs and the introductions of the great 100 places

with the best views in Fukui Prefecture were exhibited.

 

The panel exhibition of

It was very nice to see many of the great places in Fukui Prefecture that

we've introduced in our videos and blogs.

 

 

eiheiji temple
eiheiji temple

I often visit Eihei-ji Temple in Eiheiji Town and the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum in Katsuyama City. No matter how many times I visit them, I don't get tired of them.

 

 

the dinosaur museum in Katsuyama

Actually, I just visited the dinosaur museum last week, and I learned some

technical terms in Japanese and English, and the history of the dinosaurs.

 

Beside the places that are introduced in "the 100 hometown views of Fukui",

there are many other places that are recommendable.

 

 

yukemuri yokocho in awara

Near Awara hot spring area in Awara City, there is "Awara Onsen Yataimura

Yukemuri Yokocho (Awara hot spring village of food stalls named "steam alley").

In Yukemuri Yokocho (steam alley), there are about ten small restaurants

where you can enjoy a variety of foods such as western, Chinese and Japanese, etc.

 

Since the size of each restaurant is small that only about nine or ten people can sit,

sometimes customers start talking frankly even with strangers and everyone

in the restaurant ends up enjoying talking to each other.

It might be a perfect place for people to make new friends as well.

 

 

mikuni sunset beach

 

There are some hot springs where you can enjoy bathing and seeing the ocean

at the same time. It's such a soothing experience to see the splendid view of

the ocean while taking a bath.

T.F

 

This is a video of a singer/actress from Fukui Prefecture, Ai Takahashi

introducing Fukui Prefecture.

There's so much more to see and experience in Fukui Prefecture, so I would like

to visit the ones that I haven't been yet. I think I will like my hometown more.

Stay tuned for more videos of the great places in the Fukui Prefecture!

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