During the Muromachi Period (1333-1573), the town and surrounding region were under the control of the powerful Asakura clan. Built on the Asuwa River in a valley for the defensible location, this castle town is thought to have grown to a population of around 10,000. During the 1400s, due to its proximity to Kyoto, Ichijodani was a place for artisans to flee the destruction of the city during the Onin Wars. The asakura family was friendly to the Ashikaga Shogunate and therefore became an enemy of Oda Nobunaga during the Warring States period. The town was destroyed in 1573 when attacked by Oda Nobunaga, and today, the “ruins” include excavated foundations and other features and limited reconstructions of gates, walls and some buildings.
As such, the Ichijodani Asakara Clan Ruins provide an interesting insight into what was – more than 400 years ago – a thriving seat of power. The Ichijodani Asakura Family Site Museum is a three minute walk from Ichijodani Station and is a modern and comfortable facility. The ruins themselves are a short 15 minute from here. Inside the museum you can see some of the 1.7 million excavated artifacts that were taken from the archaeological digs. This is an excellent beginning to any trip to the ruins to get a better understand of the layout and what exactly you're going to see!
Fukui City is a great base to discover the Ichijodani Ruins, it is a close bus ride with regular direct buses and also a train that stops nearby. If you are staying in the city and want to explore more of the region, join us for a tour of Fukui City and the famous Zen Buddhist Head Temple of Eiheiji! It is a full day of learning about the history of the area and feeling the spirituality of the Japanese mountains. See below for more information.
EIHEIJI & FUKUI CITY FROM KANAZAWA / all year round
As one of the head temples of the world famous Japanese Zen Buddhist sect, Eiheiji Temple is a place where you can feel the mystery and beauty of traditional architecture hidden in a natural paradise. On this tour you can choose start from either Kanazawa Station or Fukui Station. After grouping up at Fukui Station, we will take a tour of the city in the morning, seeing the castle walls, the "rainbow" shrine, and views of the city from the Atagozaka Slope. We will eat in the city before heading out on a direct bus to Eiheiji Temple. The ride into the mountains is about 30 minutes and we will arrive near the temple grounds. This area has had groupings of temples for over 500 hundred years and at its peak had thousands of monks living in the area. We will walk through the temple and learn about the history as we climb up deeper into the temple. There are many excellent photo spots to discover, too. The are so many interesting angles that catch the intertwining of nature and architecture all over the complex. Try to find the one that touches you the most!
