DISCOVER FUKUI

The ruins of Fukui Castle are located a few hundred meters from Fukui Station, now surrounding the Fukui Prefectural Office building. Fuku-no-I, an old well said to be the origin of the name “Fukui,” can be found in the northwest corner of the castle grounds.

Fukui Castle was built in 1606 by Hideyasu Yuki, the second son of Ieyasu Tokugawa and the first lord of the Fukui domain, and was the stage for the prosperity of the Echizen Matsudaira family for approximately 270 years and 17 generations. At the time of its construction, the castle had a magnificent 37-meter-high, four-story, five-story keep, but it was destroyed by a great fire. Today, only a stone wall and a part of the moat made of sceptered stones, mined in Mt. Asuwayama near the castle, remain. 

The castle’s stone walls and water-filled moat date back to the original structure, and other parts of the castle have been restored. In 2008, the Orokabashi Bridge was rebuilt with its original wooden design, crossing the castle’s moat. The castle ruins are a popular spot for enjoying the cherry blossoms in late March and April, as they reach over the walls and reflect in the moat water.

Map of Fukui Castle (courtesy of Fukui City History Museum)