DISCOVER FUKUI

The post town of Kumagawa-juku was established in 1589, as a place for travelers to rest between Kyoto and the Wakasa region of southern Fukui. Visitors today can explore its traditional townscape, lined with buildings that date back to the Edo period (1603–1868), and that now serve as pottery shops, cafés, and overnight accommodations. Remnants of the magistrate's office, guard station, and storehouse remain, while traditional irrigation channels flow along the atmospheric road. A local history museum offers displays of old documents and diaries, from the founding of the post town through the end of the Edo period. Kumagawa-juku has been designated an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, preserving its townscape that evokes its former prosperity.

For centuries, Wakasa was an imperial food province, and provided the imperial court in Kyoto with fresh, high-quality seafood. Over time, Kumagawa-juku prospered and became a place where cultures mixed, as merchants passed through and stayed in this post town. 

In 2015, the Saba Kaido (or Mackerel Road), including Kumagawa-juku, was recognized as a Japan Heritage site.