During World War II, Fukui was heavily bombed and its palace, Fukui Castle, surrounded by a moat, was demolished. Buildings for the Fukui Prefectural government were built on the site of the castle.
Geography
Fukui 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 province lies within Japan's "Snow country".
Sabae is known for producing 90% of Japan's domestically-made glasses.
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.[6]
Demographics
Fukui is one of the less populated prefectures of Japan; in September 2015 there were an estimated 785,508 people living in 281,394 households.[7] As seen in most of Japan, Fukui is facing the problem of both an aging and decreasing population; 28.6% of the population was over the age of 65 in July 2015[7] and the population has decreased by 2.6% from the 806,000 measured in the October 2010 national census.[8]
Eihei-ji is a temple offering training and education to Buddhist monks. Founded by Dogen Zenji in 1244, Eiheiji is located on a plot of land covering about 33 hectares.
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 result in delicious sake, rice, and soba noodles.[citation needed]
In August 2010 Fukui launched its own dating website entitled Fukui Marriage-Hunting Café in hopes of helping the declining population growth of Japan increase. Couples who meet in the site and continue on to marry receive monetary aid from the government as well as gifts.[9]
Tōjinbō, a scenic piece of coastline, which is also a notorious spot for suicide.
Echizen crabs are a local delicacy available year-round, though the crabbing season is during the winter.
Another traditional sea-side Fukui dish is genge, a small guppy-like fish that when eaten raw as sashimi, gives the body a brief tingling sensation.
Awara is a famous onsen in the north of the prefecture.
Takefu Chrysanthemum Character Doll Exhibition, held in Takefu Central Park on every October to November, first held on 1952.[citation needed]
Mikuni Festival, a combine portable shrine and floats traditional festival, every later May on every year, first held in 1697.[citation needed]
Notes
^"2020年度国民経済計算(2015年基準・2008SNA) : 経済社会総合研究所 - 内閣府". 内閣府ホームページ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-05-18.
^Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fukui-ken" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 217, p. 217, at Google Books; "Chūbu" Japan Encyclopedia, p. 126, p. 126, at Google Books.
^Nussbaum, "Fukui" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 217, p. 217, at Google Books.
^Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 780, p. 780, at Google Books.
^"General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture" (PDF). Ministry of the Environment. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
^Fujioka, Chisa. "Japan anti-nuclear movement gains traction as crisis drags on". Reuters. 2011-04-08. Retrieved 2014-02-07.
^ a b"福井県の推計人口" [Fukui Prefecture Population Estimate] (in Japanese). Fukui Prefectural Government. 1 October 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
^"第2章 人口の地域分布" [Regional distribution of population] (PDF) (in Japanese). Retrieved 27 October 2015.
^Ansari, Aziz; Klinenberg, Eric (2015). Modern Romance. Penguin. p. 155. ISBN 978-1594206276.