Takefu Knife Village is located near the Goka district. Here, passionate bladesmiths are still hard at work producing Echizen uchihamono blades at 700-year-old shared forgeries. The well-designed letter openers and kitchen knives intricately crafted by master artisans are things of beauty.

The sophisticated artistic display of products at Takefu Knife Village. Beautifully contoured letter openers are popular souvenirs.

When it’s time for a meal, head to the city center for the local specialty, Echizen soba served at any number of restaurants. The noodles, piled high on the plate and served with grated daikon radish and dipping sauce, are an addictive combination of pungent radish and aromatic soba. Along the Kura no Tsuji, a historical road lined with whitewalled merchants’ buildings, visitors can relax and enjoy coffee and sweets in an atmospheric renovated warehouse.

Echizen is a place where skills and techniques refined for centuries are still thriving. A trip to this part of Japan is a special opportunity to explore masterful traditional craftsmanship in the modern day.

Echizen soba at Urushiya, a restaurant that has been serving customers since the 19^th century

Japanese sweets and coffee are a popular order at HAYASHI Coffee, a cafe on the Kura no Tsuji road.

Echizen Area Map

①Okamoto-Otaki Jinja②Udatsu Paper and Craft Museum③Yanase Ryozo Seishijo④Takefu Knife Village⑤Urushiya⑥Kura no Tsuji (HAYASHI Coffee)

●Access

Echizen-Takefu Station is approximately three hours from Tokyo Station via the Hokuriku Shinkansen.

●Contact information

Echizen-shi Tourist Association official website
https://www.echizen-tourism.jp.e.any.hp.transer.com/