History and charm of Fukui City

Fukui City is an alluvial plain that has developed in the Fukui Plain, an alluvial fan created by three major rivers: Kuzuryu River, Asuwa River and Hino River. It had already been a plain that could be used for farming by the Yayoi period, and can be said that rice farming started to become popular in this area during this era. About 1500 years ago, the marshy land was converted into a fertile ground by Emperor Keitai’s erosion and flood control project. The emperor had a deep connection with this area. During the Nara period, this vast plain attracted many people’s attention as the breadbasket of this area, and was the reason why Todaiji-Soen, Chimori-no-Sho and Kouki-no-Sho, land controlled by the emperor, were created. Later on, this area became an important location for the Hokuriku Expressway because of its geographical conditions and cultural developments.

In the Middle Ages, the Asakura clan, who settled in Ichijodani in the southeastern part of the city, ruled Echizen for five generations (103 years). During this era, Ichijodani was so prosperous that it was called Little Kyoto. The castle was burnt down in the first year of the Tensho era (1573), but the castle town that existed until the Sengoku period has been restored and left just like they used to be. It is the only archaeological site in Japan in such great condition, and was designated as a Special Historic Site in 1971. The garden on site was designated as a Special Place of Scenic Beauty. The city center was called Kitanosho during the Muromachi period, and the first building built in the city was the castle of the Shibata Katsuie family. After Ieyasu Tokugawa brought peace to the world, his second son, Hideyasu Yuki, was appointed as the owner of the 680,000-koku clan castle in 1600. The name of this area changed from Kitanosho to Fukui, and was given a new kanji (Chinese characters) by the third feudal lord, Tadamasa.

The feudal lord in the late Edo period was Yoshinaga Matsudaira (Shungaku), who was an honorable and wise ruler. There were many talented men such as Sanai Hashimoto, Yuri Kimimasa, Tachibana Akemi and Hakuo Kasahara who were active during the rule of Yoshinaga Matsudaira. Also, Keiei promoted fabric as an industrial business and turned Fukui into a textile kingdom. The municipal administration was enforced in 1887, and what is now Fukui City was created. At that time, which was during the Meiji era, the population was 39,863 and the area was 4.43 square kilometers. Since then, the city has continued to develop as a political, economic and cultural center of Fukui Prefecture. Fukui City, like many Japanese cities, was subjected to bombing in air raids during World War II (July 1945) and was almost completely destroyed by a huge earthquake in 1948. The city has also suffered through regular natural disasters, such as floods, damaging winds, and so on. But, thanks to the indomitable spirit of its citizens, the city has been rebuilt, just like a phoenix risen from the ashes. The phoenix symbolizes birth, death and rebirth as well as eternity, strength and renewal. The city of Fukui is now known as “The City of the Risen Phoenix.”