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Hakusan Heisenji temple exerted strong power as the base of Hakusan Worship in Medieval period. Excavational investigation that started in 1989 (the 1st year of the Heisei era) discovered that the area of the precincts of Heisenji temple in Medieval period covered 200 hectares, which is more than ten times as large as it is now. Excavational investigation conducted in fiscal 1990 and 1991 (the 2nd and the 3rd year of the Heisei era) discovered stone paved paths, stone walls, entrances of residences for monks, and so on which is unusual at the nationwide level.

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On the east side of Honmachi St. in the central part of Katsuyama City runs a stone wall intermittently with the height of 5 to 7 meters almost in parallel with the street. This stone wall is called Shichirikabe and was built by piling up round riverbed stones on the wall surface of the river terrace created by the stream of the Kuzuryu River. The castle town of Katsuyama incorporates Shichirikabe inside the town with the castle and samurai residences built above the river terrace while town houses and temples built below it.

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Below the river terrace that spread in the city area of Katsuyama were once dotted with many spots where clean underground water gushed out. This water comes from river water and rainwater on the river terrace surface. Then it infiltrates underground and is changed into subsoil water, which ends up gushing out on the ground as spring water. Now this spot called Oshozu is the only place where clean water gushes out. We can still feel elegant atmosphere of the castle town from the stone wall surrounding this spring built by piling up river stones and a statue of Fudoson (a statue of Fudo) enshrined in 1895 by the local people who felt grateful to abundant water gushing out of this spring.

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The skilled stone work on display at Ichijodani, the castle town of the Asakura Clan, served many purposes. The massive boulders at the Shimokido Ruins lent their strength to the castle’s formidable defenses. Old unearthed foundation stones, rocky layouts of houses and rooms, and artistic rock formations found in elaborate gardens, each give us insight into the daily lives of local samurai and merchants. In addition, Fukui’s native shakudani rock was used in the construction of old private water wells that dot the valley.

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Visitors to Yokokan will likely notice the parade of colorful stones placed throughout the garden, which utilizes elements from all over the country. One of the highlights of this parade is a 5-meter-long rock bridge found just beside the garden’s moon-viewing room. Along the water’s edge, colorful stepping-stones are lined up, including purple stone from Mikuni, pink granite from Tsuruga, and emerald green metamorphic rock, among others. A tsukubai washbasin made of shakudani stone is also lovely.

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