Having a Blast in Fukui Prefecture’s, Minami-Echizen Town! Six Ways to Fully Experience the Region’s Charm
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Minami-Echizen Town is an area rich in nature, even for Fukui Prefecture, where you can find mountains, coastline, and villages all in one town. There is something unique and fun to do in any season, such as harvesting lotus flowers or making hanging persimmons. In this article, we will introduce six experiences in Minami-Echizen Town that are full of local color, a great reference for the next time you visit!
Click here for details on how to access to Minami-Echizen Town!
Contents:
For the Whole Family!
・Soba Making: Try your hand at making soba noodles at Imajo Soba Dojo and enjoy that authentic local flavor! (all year round)
・Cycling in Nanjo: Heal your spirit with the beautiful scenery! (spring to autumn)
For Those Who Like Making Things!
・Glass Float Net Making: A unique fishing village experience! (all year round)
For Those Who Like Exercise!
・Lotus Flower Harvesting: Get muddy with these beautiful flowers! (summer)
For the Foodies!
・Make Hanging Persimmons: A preserved food that has been around for over 450 years! (autumn)
・Sake Brewing: Authentic sake brewing experience! (winter)
For the Whole Family!
Soba Making: Try your hand at making soba noodles at Imajo Soba Dojo and enjoy that authentic local flavor! (all year round)
Imajo soba is said to impress soba connoisseurs. At Imajo Soba Dojo, you can experience making authentic soba noodles using pure stone-ground buckwheat flour and wild Japanese mountain yam. You can cook your own noodles and eat them on the spot! The freshly made using spring water, these soba noodles are second to none! Top them with grated daikon radish and spring onions to make oroshi soba.
At the Imajo Soba Dojo, even a small group can try making soba noodles. One batch will make six servings, so it’s great for families or couples. You can of course take home any leftovers. Staff give detailed advice through the whole process, making it a great way for children to learn more about food.
For inquiries!
Imajo Soba Dojo
10-3-1 Daimon, Minami-Echizen-cho, Nanjo-gun, Fukui Prefecture
Tel: 0778-45-1385
Hours: 8:30am-5:15pm
Duration: Approximately 90 minutes
①10:00-11:30
②11:00-12:30
③1:00-2:30
④2:00-3:30
Closed: Tuesdays, New Year’s holidays
How to apply: Make a reservation by phone or from the link below
https://www.jalan.net/kankou/spt_guide000000197515/
Cost: 1 batch (6 servings) 2,420 yen
(Note:) For parties of two or more, an additional 240 yen will be charged on the day for each additional person.
Access:
・From Hapi-Line Fukui Imajo Station, take the town bus “Hirono/Magoya Line” to Daimon stop, then walk for 2 minutes or take a taxi for about 5 minutes
・About 15 minutes by car from Imajo IC on the Hokuriku Expressway
Map:https://goo.gl/maps/8WBRaD7MdzbymNpK8
Links:https://www.minamiechizen.com/spot/3848/
Cycling in Nanjo: Heal your spirit with the beautiful scenery! (spring to autumn)
“Rent a bicycle and enjoy the rural scenery! Bicycles are available for rental at the roadside station Minami-Echizen Town Sankairi. Riding a bicycle here allows you to experience Minami-Echizen Town in a way that is easy to miss from a car or train. Since it is an electronically assisted bicycle, even longer rides are not strenuous.”
From July to August, lotus flowers are in full bloom in the Nanjo area. Cycling by the vast lotus fields is sure to become a wonderful summer memory (just don’t forget to take precautions against the heat). Although it is a little far away, we also recommend Hanahasu Park, a popular tourist destination. You can also experience the other seasons, with cherry blossoms along the Hino River in spring and the beautiful leaves in autumn. An excellent way to spend your day as you are relaxed and soothed by the beautiful Japanese countryside.
Some recommended cycling destinations:
・Sabanami Tunnel (Sabanami)
・Stone monument commemorating Emperor Meiji’s repose (Sabanami)
・Uguisu-shimizu Spring
・Ugan Shrine (Domiya)
・Lotus fields (Domiya) *Watch out for farm vehicles!*
・Hanahasu Park (Nakagoya)
・Rainbow Park Nanjo (Makiya)
For inquiries!
Roadside Station Minami-Echizen Sankairi
39-2-2 Makiya, Minami-Echizen-cho, Nanjo-gun, Fukui Prefecture
Tel: 0778-47-3690
Bicycle rental hours: 9am-5pm
Closed: open year-round
How to apply: Make a reservation by phone or via the link below at least a day in advance
https://kineno-nanjo.com/play/rentalcycle/
Cost: 700 yen for adults up to 4 hours, 500 yen for children up to 4 hours
Access:Adjacent to Nanjo SA (southbound) on the Hokuriku Expressway
Map:https://goo.gl/maps/1k1BNvoBWaGPdEyEA
Links:
https://www.minamiechizen.com/spot/3219/
https://www.minamiechizen.com/about/sankairi/
For Those Who Like Making Things!
Glass Float Net Making: A unique fishing village experience! (available year-round)
Here is a unique activity you won’t find outside of a coastal fishing village like Kono: making a net around a glass float. The glass floats, which were used to keep nets afloat and as a marker, come from Otaru, a coastal city in Hokkaido that Kono is on good terms with. A guide from the Kono Kitamaebune Shipowners’ Street Association will teach you how to make it. The finished creation can be used as decor or as a flower vase, and it makes a great souvenir.
For inquiries!
Ukon Residence
2-15 Kono, Minami-Echizen-cho, Nanjo-gun, Fukui Prefecture
Tel: 0778-48-2196
Hours: 9am-4pm
Closed: Wednesdays, New Year holidays
How to apply: Make a reservation by phone one week in advance
Cost: 1,400 yen (If you wish to tour the residence, an additional 500 yen is required)
Access:
Approximately 30 minutes by car from the Tsuruga exit, 20 minutes from the Nanjo exit (ETC only), and 30 minutes by car from the Takefu exit of the Hokuriku Expressway
Map:https://goo.gl/maps/iP4W2FXJCWGy2Ejc8
Links:
https://www.minamiechizen.com/spot/3908/
https://www.minamiechizen.com/spot/3925/
For the Active Types!
Lotus Flower Harvesting: Getting muddy with these beautiful flowers! (summer)
There is a place in the Nanjo area of Minami-Echizen Town where lotus flowers are grown, a somewhat rare sight in Japan. The flowers bloom in summer and are sent to various places to be used in the Bon Festival, one of the most important annual Buddhist events. The vibrant pink blossoms are harvested early in the morning before they open with the warming sun, and waking up early in the cool morning air to harvest them is a pleasant experience. You can also try tying the harvested flowers in bundles for shipping. This activity is only available in July and August and wading boots and sickles are available to rent. After, we recommend taking a refreshing soak at Hanahasu Onsen Somayama (closed on Tuesdays).
For inquiries!
Tamamuraya
82-10 Imajo, Minami-Echizen-cho, Nanjo-gun, Fukui Prefecture
Tel: none
Hours: 9am-5pm (experience takes about 90 minutes)
How to apply: Make a reservation via the link below
https://tamamuraya.jp/contactus/
Cost: For one person: 3,000 yen / For two: 2,500 yen per person / For three or more: 2,000 yen per person (Note: Full fee is required even for those who only wish to observe.)
Access:
・5 minute walk from Imajo Station on the Hapi-Line
・5 minutes by car from the Imajo exit on the Hokuriku Expressway
Map:https://goo.gl/maps/cgswUtwkdyRcCxHX8
Links:
https://www.minamiechizen.com/spot/3967/
Remarks:
・Location: 27-19 Domiya, Minami-Echizen-cho, Nanjo-gun, Fukui Prefecture
・Please wear clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty. We recommend long sleeves as the lotus stems are prickly.
For the Foodies!
Making Hanging Persimmons: A preserved food that has been around for over 450 years! (autumn)
Imajo’s hanging persimmons are a local specialty. The harvested persimmons are smoked to create a delicious preserved treat. You can experience the entire process, not something one sees every day, from beginning to end, including peeling the persimmons, hanging them on a string, smoking them, and shaping them. Try to master it for yourself and you’ll see what the fuss is about! This experience is only available in November.
For inquiries!
Tamamuraya
82-10 Imajo, Minami-Echizen-cho, Nanjo-gun, Fukui Prefecture
Tel: none
Hours: 9am-5pm (experience takes about 90 minutes)
How to apply: Make a reservation via the link below
https://tamamuraya.jp/contactus/
Cost: 3,000 yen (includes the 5 hanging persimmons you make yourself)
Access:
・5 minute walk from Imajo Station on the Hapi-Line
・5 minutes by car from the Imajo exit on the Hokuriku Expressway
Map:https://goo.gl/maps/cgswUtwkdyRcCxHX8
Links:https://www.minamiechizen.com/spot/3930/
Remarks:
・Location: Ichinose Sanso, 119-6-2 Futatsuya, Minami-Echizen-cho, Nanjo-gun, Fukui Prefecture
・Please wear warm clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty.
・The persimmons you make will be kept at the facility until they are ready. You can pick them up two weeks after the experience yourself or have them shipped (additional shipping fees apply).
Sake Brewing: Authentic sake brewing experience! (winter)
In the snowy month of January in the historic post town of Imajo-shuku, you can participate in a sake brewing experience at a brewery. Step into the shoes of a brewer as you infuse steamed rice with koji mold, spread the finished koji, and stir! Instruction comes straight from the chief brewer themself. Later, after the process is finished, you can enjoy a 300 ml bottle of the sake you made in the comfort of your own home. This special experience is only available from January to early February.
For inquiries!
Tamamuraya
82-10 Imajo, Minami-Echizen-cho, Nanjo-gun, Fukui Prefecture
Tel: none
Example schedule:
8:45am Meet at Tamamuraya, a local inn
9:00 Brewing experience at the sake brewery
12:00 Break
1:00 Brewing experience
3:00pm End
How to apply: Make a reservation from the link below
Cost:
・2-day course –
One person: 11,900 yen / Two people: 10,100 yen per person / Three people: 8,700 yen per person / Four people: 8,000 yen per person / Five people: 7,580 yen per person
Note: Shorter (1 day) and longer (3 to 4 days) courses are also available.
Access:
・5 minute walk from Imajo Station on the Hapi-Line
・5 minutes by car from the Imajo exit on the Hokuriku Expressway
Map:https://goo.gl/maps/cgswUtwkdyRcCxHX8
Links:
https://www.minamiechizen.com/spot/4021/
Remarks:
・Check for available dates on the Jalan website.
・Please bring rubber boots, a bandana, and indoor shoes (such as sandals that are easy to put on and take off).
Minami-Echizen Town is full of rare, seasonal experiences that can only be had here, such as harvesting lotus flowers and making hanging persimmons. Come check it out! And be sure to bring your family, friends, or special someone.
