In the mountains east of Fukui City lies the “Pompeii of Japan”—the Ichijodani Asakura Clan Ruins. Once Japan’s third largest city (after Kyoto and Osaka) during the Muromachi Period, with a population of over 10,000, it was a military, cultural, and trade hub—quite a feat for this turbulent period. Today, it is one of the few remaining ruins of the Sengoku period, earning it the name “Pompeii of Japan.”

History of the Asakura Clan Ruins

The town and castle were built in 1471 after the Asakura Clan took over the military command duties of Echizen Province (northern Fukui Prefecture today) from the Shiba Clan. As a result, they built their power base – a castle and town – in a very defensible location the same year. This also included hilltop fortifications that surrounded the site. In the centre was the fortified mansion of the clan, followed by those of their retainers. Towards the outer parts were the merchants, artisans, peasantry and Buddhist temples.

During this time, the clan offered Ichijodani as a centre for refugees fleeing the Onin War centred around Kyoto, which started the Sengoku Period, or the Japanese Period of Warring States. This swelled the population immensely during its first few years.

For exactly 100 years, the town survived as it had done previously. It maintained good relations with the Shogunate, which was its downfall. The final lord during this period, Asakura Yoshikage, was a good diplomat and moderator, even rising to become the regent to the Shogun—putting himself in direct conflict with Oda Nobunaga. Asakura Yoshikage’s lack of military skill proved fatal to himself and Ichijodani’s population in 1573 when the town was destroyed over three days.

Asakura Clan Ruins Today

Excavations began uncovering the ruins in 1967. Since then, nearly 2 million artefacts have been recovered, some 2,500 of which are considered Important Cultural Properties and are on display in the Ichijodani Asakura Family Site Museum. The remains of four gardens, one of which has the oldest flower beds in Japan, have also been found and partially restored.

If you visit there today, you will find the town’s ruins and can see the foundations of many houses, mansions, walls and gates. On the west side, which had a combination of mansions and artisan/merchant homes, approximately 200 metres of buildings along the street have been reconstructed. Actors and guides also act out roles of how people would have been in the day and provide information.

This section also includes some small shops based on the businesses that would have been there then, including a fully functioning tea shop in the Muromachi period style.

Getting to Asakura Clan Ruins

There are two main ways to get to the Asakura Clan Ruins if you do not have a car. The first is by train, which you can take from Fukui Station to JR Ichijodani Station, which is very close to the Ichijodani Asakura Family Site Museum. To get to the ruins, you will have to walk for approximately 30 minutes or take the free shuttle bus between both sites.

Alternatively, you can take the bus. There is a direct bus between the Asakura Clan Ruins (which stops before the entrance to the reconstructed street) and Fukui Station.

Additionally, you can combine your trip with the nearby Eiheiji Temple. These can be done on a day trip, as buses go from Fukui Station to Eiheiji Temple, then on to the Asakura Clan Ruins, before returning to the station. Not all buses to Eiheiji Temple continue to the ruins, so check the schedule and plan accordingly. Google Maps is a good tool for this area as it gets information from JR and the local train and bus companies.

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