Fukui Castle

History

Yuki Hideyasu, the second son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, was awarded the area of Kitanosho for his efforts in the Battle of Sekigahara. Hideyasu built his castle just to the North of Shibata's Kitanosho Castle. In 1624 Matsudaira Tadamasa became lord of Kitanosho and renamed it Fukui. The 4 level 5 story main keep burned down in a great fire in 1669 but the castle itself existed until the Meiji Restoration.

The picture above is of the moat and stone walls of the Honmaru.

Visit Notes

Just a short walk from the station, it's worth the trip if you are there and have time.

Gallery

moat and stone walls
Stones walls and moat
Stones walls and moat
stone foundation of the main keep
Rokabashi Bridge
Rokabashi Bridge and gate
Rokabashi Bridge

Castle Profile
English Name	Fukui Castle
Japanese Name	福井城
Founder	Yuki Hideyasu
Year Founded	1601
Castle Type	Flatland
Castle Condition	No main keep but other buildings
Designations	Next 100 Castles
Historical Period	Edo Period
Artifacts	Dorui, Ishigaki, Gates, Bridges, Tenshudai
Features	gates, bridges, samurai homes, water moats, stone walls, walls
Visitor Information
Access	Fukui Sta. (Hokuriku Line), 5 minute walk
Visitor Information
Time Required
Location	Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture
Coordinates	36° 3' 53.82" N, 136° 13' 18.62" E
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2006
Admin Year Visited	2006
Admin Visits	June 13, 2006

Nearby Samurai Homes

Youkoukan Villa

1.93

(15 votes)

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Anonymous user #1

8 months ago

Score 0 You

Nice walls and moat, and you can climb up on the walls in places. Inside it's mostly just government buildings, but it's worth a visit if you are in or around Fukui City.

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ARTShogun

30 months ago

Score 1

Added pictures of gates and tenshudai to gallery.

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ARTShogun

60 months ago

Score 1

Fukuijō is a hirajiro (flatland castle) with lots of ishigaki (stone ramparts), wide mizubori (water moats), dorui (earthen embankment) and several reconstructed structures: two gates and a rōkabashi (covered bridge) with adjoining stucco walls. When I want they were still working on one of the gates but it looked mostly done. Its rooftiles are made of local stone with a blue hue, similar to those adorning Maruokajō. At the tenshudai (donjon base) there is a well which give thes castle, and thus the city, its name. Recently it has had a roof built over it. This castle is still having a lot of work done to it, and this is an exciting prospect. Whole wall segments in an outer bailey seem to be being restored.

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SuupaahiirooAshigaru

72 months ago

Score 0

Definitely worth a quick trip. The covered bridge is a really nice structure and I'd really like to go back and see the gate when it's finished. Note that in front of the Fukui City History Museum (福井市立郷土歴史博物館) there's another reconstructed gate. It's near Yōkōkan (a reconstructed villa and garden of the Matsudaira clan), which is a destination not to be missed, by the way.

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DiegoDeManilaAshigaru

83 months ago

Score 0

Visited 29 June 2015 (https://with...9-june-2015/). Nice ishigaki and a generously sized moat. The pref. govt. compound was built right on top of where the palace once stood, so not much chance of that getting rebuilt soon, but the reconstructed Orōka-bashi was a great addition. As mentioned in my previous comments, work was underway at the time to prepare the site for rebuilding the Yamazato-guchi-gomon; you'll notice in my pictures how parts of the ishigaki flanking the gate site were partially disassembled and the stones laid out in the drained moat. The pref. govt.'s webpages on the project (see the links in my earlier comments) have even more pictures and info about the project. If/when that gets done, I'll have a great reason to swing by again. 2.5 stars for now (nice walls and bridge); if the gate goes up as planned - and is done right - I'll gladly revisit that rating.

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DiegoDeManilaAshigaru

83 months ago

Score 0

Progress reports (with loads of pictures) on the preliminary work for the restoration project can be accessed from here: http://www.p...o_kouji.html

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DiegoDeManilaAshigaru

83 months ago

Score 0

I'm currently working on a blog post covering my visit to this castle - for the moment I should mention that work is now well under way to restore the Yamazato-guchi Gomon (the gate to which the reconstructed bridge once led). The moat section near the bridge has been fully drained and parts of the wall flanking the gate site were being worked upon during my June 2015 visit - I'd love to see fresh pictures from people who've been there more recently. Details about the project are available from the prefectural website (http://www.p...amazato.html). Expected completion: 2017. Exciting times indeed.

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FindlayjamiePeasant

87 months ago

Score 0

I was impressed by the moat (still having water) and the bridge they've rebuilt nicely. I can't see it's ever going to be a major site, as the prefectural office is dumped on top, but worth it if you're heading back from Maroka to Osaka.

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Kiddus i2003Gunshi

107 months ago

Score 0

Impressive walls

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BryanbaierPeasant

135 months ago

Score 0

Only a couple of walls and a part of the moat remain. The rest of the grounds have been taken over by the prefectural government buildings. If you have a long stop over in Fukui than it is way better than waiting around on the platform for your next train, otherwise don't go out of your way for it

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RaymondWDaimyo

141 months ago

Score 0

If you are passing through Fukui City and like ishigaki, this is one castle ruin worth visiting. The ishigaki surrounding the honmaru and its water moat are intact. As mentioned below by Furinkazan, the local authorities have also rebuilt a wooden bridge. As I was taking photos of the stone walls, one of the police officers who patrolled the area (the City Police Headquarters and the Prefectural Office are now in the original honmaru), gave me a brochure about the castle. Pretty cool stuff. The site is a mere five minutes from the JR Fukui Station. This site is worth a 2-star for its ishigaki and the reconstructed bridge.

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FurinkazanHatamoto

151 months ago

Score 0

After Maruoka i had some time left for visiting Fukui.(my hotel is just next to the trainstation)Normally i don't visit castleruins, but i have to say that this one is interesting. There are some panels around the moat(in english too)telling the story of Fukui-city and -castle. In 2008 the Oroka-bridge was restored to celebrate the 400 years of Fukui-castle. It is a covered bridge and for this i give 2 stars.

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