越前とは（Prologue）
越前とは（Prologue）
Fukui Prefecture was once divided into two provinces, “Echizen” and “Wakasa”.The current division, the Reihoku area, plus Tsuruga City, part of the Reinan area, is called “Echizen.“
Echizen has a very ancient history in Japanese history, and the oldest history books in Japan, Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters) and Nihonshoki (Chronicles of Japan), both mention that about 1,500 years ago, in the middle of the Kofun period, when many posterior round tombs over 100 meters high were built around the Echizen plain, the Great King Keitai, born from the daughter of a powerful Echizen family, grew up to rule the land of Echizen and in 507, he was welcomed by the Yamato Imperial Court and ascended to the throne at Kuzuha-no-Miya, where he ruled Wakoku(Japan) as Emperor Keitai.
At that time, the culture of the continent flowed first into Koshinokunii from the excellent ports on the Japan Sea coast, including Mikuni and Tsuruga.Echizen, the center of this influx, was an ancient international city and a region of high cultural standards where many highly skilled visitors resided.
The fact that the “Echizen Provincial Government,” a government office for the Imperial Court to govern the region, was located in present-day Echizen City suggests that this was an important region where politics, culture, and industry came and went as the gateway to the huge Koshinokuni Province, which extended to Echichu and Echigo.
The most advanced culture and technology of the time was carried and spread from Echizen to all parts of Japan.
Echizen has a number of traditional industries that are rooted in the local climate and have been handed down over the years by artisans.‘Echizen Washi,” ‘Echizen Uchihamono,’ and ‘Echizen Tansu,’ which are designated as national traditional crafts.
Echizen Washi began about 1,500 years ago.It is said that a beautiful princess appeared upstream from the Okamoto River, which flows through Imadate Goka, and taught the villagers the art of papermaking.Since then, people have revered this princess as “Kawakamigozen,” the goddess of paper, and have continued to make beautiful and diverse washi.
Echizen hammered blades have been preserving the ancient Japanese fire forging technique and hand finishing process for about 700 years.n recent years, kitchen knives and table knives have gained a high reputation among top restaurants and chefs in Europe and other parts of the world.
The Echizen tansu technique was established in the late Edo period.It is made of solid wood such as zelkova and Paulownia, and is characterized by its massive construction, which is kumite-worked using unique sashimono techniques and decorated with iron ornamental metal fittings and lacquered lacquer.
Echizen is home to many workshops of these traditional crafts, some of which allow visitors to observe and experience the work of the artisans.
Echizen is also deeply related to the culture of Nara and Kyoto. Murasaki Shikibu, the author of “The Tale of Genji,” a work of Japanese literature that has been read for more than 1,000 years, stayed in Echizen and is mentioned in the “Manyoshu,” the oldest collection of Japanese poetry created in the 7th to 8th centuries.
Because the area was spared from air raids during the war, many old streets, temples, and shrines remain that retain traces of its history, allowing visitors to walk through the city and feel the accumulated ages.
The area is also blessed with a natural environment that includes fields and mountains that change from season to season, starting with cherry blossoms in spring, rural landscapes inhabited by storks, and beautiful water, which has nurtured a rich culinary culture.
In particular, Echizen soba with grated spicy daikon radish is a local delicacy that can be enjoyed with a slightly different character at each restaurant.
Rituals and festivals that unite traditional crafts and communities also continue to be carefully preserved by residents.
Please enjoy a trip to Echizen, where the more you know about Echizen, the more you will be able to enjoy a relaxing time that has continued since the days of the Ancient Times.
