Fukui (city) facts for kids

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Fukui

福井市

Core city

Seen from Mt.Asuwa Fukui City Skyline distant view
Fukui Castle	Ichijōdani Asakura Family Historic Ruins
Asuwa Jinjya	Fukui City Water Service Memorial
Cherry trees along the Asuwa River	Echizen-Kaga Kaigan Quasi-National Park

Flag

Seal

Location of Fukui in Fukui Prefecture

Fukui

Location in Japan

Country

Japan

Region

Chūbu (Hokuriku)

Prefecture

Fukui

Area

• Total

536.41 km² (207.11 sq mi)

Population

(July 1, 2017)

• Total

264,217

• Density

492.565/km² (1,275.738/sq mi)

Time zone

UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)

Phone number

0776-20-5111

Address

3-10-1 Ōte, Fukui-shi, Fukui-ken 910-8511

Climate

Cfa


Symbols
Flower	Hydrangea
Tree	Pine

Fukui (福井市, Fukui-shi) is the capital city of Fukui Prefecture, Japan. As of March 1, 2024, about 255,332 people live here in 107,553 homes. The city covers an area of 536.41 square kilometers (207.11 sq mi). This means there are about 476 people living in each square kilometer. Most people live in the city center. However, Fukui also includes countryside areas, mountains, and suburbs.

Exploring Fukui City
- City Views: What Fukui Looks Like
Fukui's Location and Weather
Fukui's Population Over Time
- How Many People Live in Fukui?
Fukui's Rich History
Fukui's Global Connections
- Sister Cities Around the World
- Friendships Within Japan
Fukui's Economy: How People Make a Living
Learning in Fukui: Schools and Universities
Getting Around Fukui: Transportation
Fun Places to Visit in Fukui
Fukui's Culture and Sports
- Sports Teams in Fukui
  - Baseball
  - Handball
  - Soccer
See also

Exploring Fukui City

City Views: What Fukui Looks Like

Fukui is a mix of old and new. You can see modern buildings and busy streets. There are also quiet, green spaces. The city has grown a lot over the years.

Fukui Station (2018)
Downtown of Fukui City (2018)
Fukui City Aerial (2014)
Skyline of Fukui City (2013)

Fukui's Location and Weather

Where is Fukui Located?

Fukui is in the north-central part of Fukui Prefecture. It sits on a flat area near the coast. To the west, it touches the Sea of Japan. To the east, you'll find the Ryōhaku Mountains. The Kuzuryū River flows right through the city.

Fukui's Climate: Hot Summers and Snowy Winters

Fukui has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot and humid summers. Winters are cool and can be very snowy. It rains a lot throughout the year, especially in December and January.

Neighboring Towns and Cities

Fukui shares its borders with several other places in Fukui Prefecture:

Echizen (town)
Eiheiji
Ikeda
Katsuyama
Ōno
Sabae
Sakai

Fukui's Population Over Time

How Many People Live in Fukui?

The number of people living in Fukui has stayed about the same for the last 40 years.

Census data
Year	Pop.	±%
1873	39,784	—
1970	231,901	+482.9%
1980	259,638	+12.0%
1990	270,911	+4.3%
2000	269,557	−0.5%
2010	266,796	−1.0%
2020	262,328	−1.7%
Source: Fukui population statistics, Japanese Imperial Commission [1] (1873)

Fukui's Rich History

Early Days of Fukui

Before Fukui Prefecture was created in 1871, this area was made up of two old provinces: Wakasa and Echizen.

During the Edo period (1603-1868), the powerful family that ruled this region was called Matsudaira. They were related to Tokugawa Ieyasu, a very famous leader in Japanese history.

The Sengoku Period: Battles and Castles

The Sengoku period (1467-1615) was a time of many wars in Japan. In 1471, the Asakura family became the military leaders of Echizen Province. Asakura Toshikage (1428–1481) built strong defenses around a place called Ichijōdani. He built forts on the mountains and walls to protect the valley.

Inside this protected area, he built a large mansion. Around it were homes for his family and loyal followers. Later, shops for merchants and workshops for artists appeared, along with Buddhist temples. Many skilled people from Kyoto came here to escape the wars. Ichijōdani became a very important place for culture, military power, and people. At its busiest, over 10,000 people lived there.

The Asakura family was friendly with the Ashikaga shogunate, which was the military government of Japan at the time. This led them to clash with Oda Nobunaga, another powerful leader. Nobunaga attacked Echizen Province. Because of Asakura Yoshikage's lack of military skill, Nobunaga's forces won important battles in 1570. This left the Asakura lands open to invasion.

In 1573, Nobunaga completely destroyed Ichijōdani Castle.

Kitanosho Castle was built by Shibata Katsuie in 1575. It was known for its huge main tower, which was nine stories tall. This made it the largest castle tower of its time!

Asakura Yoshikage
Ichijōdani Asakura Family Historic Ruins
Shibata Katsuie
Kitanosho Castle（Sibata Jinja）

Edo Period: A Castle Town Develops

During the Edo period, Fukui became a jōkamachi (a castle town). It was the center of the Fukui Domain, a territory ruled by a powerful lord under the Tokugawa shogunate.

Fukui played a big part in the Meiji restoration, a major change in Japan's government in the late 1800s. The modern city of Fukui was officially created on April 1, 1889.

Yūki Hideyasu
Fukui Castle

Modern Challenges and Growth

Before World War II, Fukui grew into an important center for factories and railroads. Companies in the area made things like airplane parts, electrical goods, and textiles.

On June 19, 1945, during World War II, Fukui was heavily damaged by bombing. Most of the city, about 84.8%, was destroyed.

Fukui District Court
Fukui City Water Service Memorial
Fukui Prefectural Office Building (1923)

Fukui faced another big challenge in 1948 when a major earthquake hit the city.

In 2006, some nearby towns and villages joined Fukui, making the city bigger. On April 1, 2019, Fukui was named a "core city." This means it has more power to make its own decisions.

Fukui's Global Connections

Sister Cities Around the World

Fukui has "sister city" relationships with cities in other countries. This helps build friendships and understanding between different cultures.

Sister cities

City	Country	State	since
New Brunswick	United States	New Jersey	May, 1982
Fullerton	United States	California	November, 1989

Friendship cities

City	Country	State	since
Hangzhou	China	Zhejiang	November, 1989
Suwon	South Korea	Gyeonggi	April, 2001

Friendships Within Japan

Fukui also has special relationships with other cities in Japan.

Sister cities

City	Prefecture	region	since
Kumamoto	Kumamoto	Kyūshū region	November, 1994

Friendship cities

City	Prefecture	region	since
Yūki	Ibaraki	Kantō region	April, 2002

Partnership cities

City	Prefecture	region	since
Nagano	Nagano	Chūbu region	August 9, 2013

Fukui's Economy: How People Make a Living

Fukui Prefecture Agricultural Cooperatives

Fisheries Cooperative Association of FukuiCity

Fukui has a varied economy. It's a center for business and money in the region. But manufacturing, farming, and fishing are also very important.

Farming and Fishing in Fukui

Agriculture: Growing Food

Japan Agricultural Cooperatives (JA)
- Fukui Prefecture Agricultural Cooperatives (JA FukuiPrefecture)

Fishing Industry: From the Sea

Japan Fisheries cooperative (JF)
- FukuiCity Fisheries cooperative (JF FukuiCity)

Factories and Companies in Fukui

Manufacturing: Making Things

Several companies have their main offices or factories in Fukui:

Kumagai Gumi: A big construction company.
Matsuura Machinery: Makes heavy machines for international use.
Morinaga Hokuriku Dairy: A company that makes dairy products.

Services: Helping People and Businesses

Service Industry: Providing Help

Emori Shoji: A trading company that works closely with China.
Keifuku Bus: A local bus company.

Learning in Fukui: Schools and Universities

University of Fukui

Fukui has many places for students to learn, from high schools to universities.

Universities and Colleges

Fukui College of Health Sciences
Fukui Prefectural University
Fukui University of Technology
Jin-ai Women's College
University of Fukui

High Schools in Fukui

Asuwa Senior High School
Fujishima Senior High School
Fukui Commercial Senior High School
Fukui Minami Senior High School
Fukui Norin Senior High School
Fukui University of Technology - Fukui Senior High School
Hokuriku Senior High School
Jin-ai Girl's Senior High School
Kagaku-Gijutsu Senior High School
Keishin Senior High School
Koshi Senior High School
Michimori Senior High School
Usui Senior High School

Other Schools

Fukui Prefectural School for the Blind
Fukui Prefectural School for the Deaf
Hokuriku Korean Elementary and Junior High School

Getting Around Fukui: Transportation

Fukui Station

Fukui Railway Fukubu Line

Fukui-kita IC
（Hokuriku Expressway）

Port of Takasu

Fukui has many ways to travel, including trains, roads, and even a port.

Train Travel in Fukui

High-Speed Rail: Shinkansen

Hokuriku Shinkansen: High-speed train service started on March 16, 2024.

Local Train Lines

Etsumi-Hoku Line (Kuzuryū Line)
Fukubu Line
Mikuni Awara Line
Katsuyama Eiheiji Line
Hapi Line Fukui

Roads and Highways

Expressways

Hokuriku Expressway

National Routes

National Route 8
National Route 158
National Route 305
National Route 364
National Route 416

Sea Travel

Sea Port

Port of Takasu

Fun Places to Visit in Fukui

Ichijōdani Asakura Family Historic Ruins

Fukui has many interesting places to explore, from historical sites to beautiful gardens.

Asuwa River: A lovely river, especially known for its cherry blossoms.
Fukui International Activities Plaza: A place for international exchange.
Harmony Hall Fukui: A concert hall for music and performances.
Ichijōdani Asakura Family Historic Ruins: Very important historical ruins from the Sengoku period.
Fukui Castle: The remains of an old castle.
Fukui Fine Arts Museum: A museum showcasing art.
Kitanosho Castle: Another historic castle site.
Peace Pagoda: A special tower built for peace, opened in 1959.
Yōkōkan Garden: A beautiful traditional Japanese garden.
"Yoroppaken": Famous for Fukui's special dish, sauce katsudon (pork cutlet with sauce on rice).