DISCOVER FUKUI

Echizen City is the place where Murasaki Shikibu, the author of *The Tale of Genji*, lived away from the capital for the only time in her life.

It is said that she visited here with her father, Fujiwara no Tameoki, who had been appointed governor of Echizen Province, and spent over a year there.

Murasaki Shikibu Park, built to commemorate this, features a Shinden-style garden—a rarity in Japan—meticulously recreated based on detailed historical research, allowing visitors to experience the elegant world depicted in Heian-period scroll paintings in real life.

The Golden Statue of Murasaki Shikibu

The “Golden Statue of Murasaki Shikibu” standing in the garden captures the likeness of Murasaki Shikibu, who is said to have been both intelligent and beautiful. If you follow the gaze of the statue, which stands facing the capital (Kyoto), you will see Mount Hino, known as “Echizen Fuji.” Mount Hino is said to be particularly beautiful when viewed from here, and Murasaki Shikibu even left behind a poem about it.

　― Here, the snow covers the cedar grove of Hino; I wonder if it is falling in a flurry today upon the pines of Koshio

　Translation: The first snow has fallen, and the snow has piled up so high that it now covers the cedar grove on Mount Hino, which is close at hand. I wonder if the pines on Mount Koshio in the capital of Kyoto are also being blanketed by snow today.

These poems can also be seen on the monument behind the statue of Murasaki Shikibu.

Murasaki Yukari Museum of Echizen

Adjacent to Murasaki Shikibu Park, the “Murasaki Yukari Museum of Echizen” features materials and exhibits related to Murasaki Shikibu. It offers content that history enthusiasts will enjoy, including an emaki-style video, a “Princess Type” personality quiz, and a paper doll procession recreating her journey to Echizen.

■Click here for details

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