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This is a city in the medieval period built by Asakura clan, a warring lord. The ruins of the castle gate built by piling up huge stones to prevent invasion by the enemy give a full im-pact on us. Relics discovered by excavation are exhibited in an exposure state, showing us foundation stones of the residences, stone walls, etc. in those days.

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Fukui Castle was built by Yuki Hideyasu, Fukui’s first lord of the Edo Period. The main citadel, which once stood on the grounds we see today, was surrounded by a quadruple moat, as well as secondary fortifications at Ninomaru and Sannomaru. The high stone walls that protected this castle were made with meticulously cut and stacked shakudani stone blocks, each carved to be roughly the same size. This colorful stone was also used to create the castle’s irrigation ditches, cornerstones, and tiles.

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Built by the powerful Shibata Katsuie during his brief reign as Fukui’s warlord, this bridge spanned the Asuwagawa River as part of the old Hokuriku Road network. It was famous during the Edo Period for its unique half-stone, half-wood construction method, with the bridge’s southern half made of shakudani stone, and its northern half made of wood. There are many theories as to why this was, and the bridge was a popular subject for study in the past. For most of the Edo Period this was the river’s only bridge, and a pier built on the river’s northern bank carried goods to and from the coastal town of Mikuni

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On the northwestern foot of Mt. Asuwayama lies Tangando, a hermitage built by a doctor named Yamamoto Zuian in the Edo Period. The building was also used as a secret meeting place by Fukui’s 16th lord, Matsudaira Yoshinaga, and his vassals. At that time, Fukui’s shakudani stone was mined here and shipped across the country via the Asuwagawa River. This same stone was lovingly used for Tangando’s scenic foot paths, lanterns, and bridges.

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