Visit Ono, the city under the castle 大野市

Tour of horizons

A small city in the middle of the mountains built in the 16th century on the model of Kyoto, Ono was one day an important crossing point between the former provinces of Echizen and Mino , now integrated respectively into the prefectures of Fukui and Gifu. Take advantage of a stopover in the Japanese countryside to discover the charming city that has been able to exploit its natural resources to prosper over time.

With its streets sometimes almost empty, the city of Ono will allow you to discover in peace a reduced model of a city under the castle in order to better understand the layout of these former capitals of the territory of a great lord ( jôkamachi ). You can easily walk from the top of the Kameyama hill on which the Echizen-Ono castle is enthroned to the district of the former residences of the lord's vassals ( bukechi ) by descending to the south towards the Yanagi sanctuary.

After a visit to the former home of the Uchiyamas, you will cross the small Serigawa stream which separates the world of warriors from that of ordinary men . You will stroll through the streets of the traditional merchants' district ( chônin-machi ) passing by the famous street ( Shichiken-dôri ) where the morning market is held, before arriving in the temple district ( teramachi ). This district is made up of around 20 temples arranged side by side , most of which are still carefully maintained by the elderly owners. It is the ideal place for a contemplative stroll that will appeal to any budding photographer.

Why not then venture through the fields of rice paddies, buckwheat and vegetables that surround the center of a predominantly agricultural town . Ono is a perfect city to feel in depth the spatial structure characteristic of all these cities which developed at the foot of feudal castles with a strict distribution of districts according to social status.

Learn more about Ono:

• Ono Castle
• Ono, city of water

Visits to an authentic city

• The morning market

For more than 4 centuries , the inhabitants of Ono have had the habit of selling their local products every morning in the horizontal street Shichiken-dôri , except from the first of the year until the arrival of spring due to strong snowfall. There are seasonal vegetables, edible plants picked up in the mountains, mushrooms, small rice cakes, flowers and sometimes even bread, eggs and accessories.

This will be an opportunity for you to discover new typical Japanese plants, fruits and vegetables too often forgotten by city dwellers . The grandmothers of the market will be happy to give you advice on how to cook them well. If the prefecture of Fukui is best known for its rice production, this market testifies to the presence in Ono of many small market gardeners.

It should also be noted that the tradition of markets in Japan was greatly lost after the Second World War. Therefore, such a small town retaining this custom is a rather exceptional case.

Read: Miyagawa Morning Market

Useful information :

朝市 Asaichi

Tel:0779-69-9520

Every day in Shichiken-dori street, from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Closed from December 31 to March 20

In the Heian period (794-1185), a small shrine dedicated to Benzaiten, the goddess who in popular Japanese Buddhism prodigies wealth, was moved just to the edge of the pond. During the drought of the Edo period, villagers from the northern hamlets of the city would come to the shrine to pray while performing the rain dance. This dance is now classified as a living cultural treasure.

For the more curious among you, the Shinokura sanctuary offers its visitors 3-hour guided tours with an introduction to the Shinto religion (votive tablets, amulets...), the possibility of attending a ceremony wearing the traditions of Shinto priests ( kannushi ) and priestesses ( miko ).

Useful information :

篠座神社 Shinokura jinja

Tel:0779-66-1111

Prices: free visit, interactive courses on Shintô 1500 ¥ + rental of religious clothing 4500 ¥

Reservation by email at least 3 days before (cafe.namecameono@gmail.com)

• The Uchiyama House

This house belonged to a family of stewards of the fief, the Uchiyama family, which saw the birth of great personalities such as Ryokyu Uchiyama and his brother Ryusuke Uchiyama; two men who strongly contributed to the economic recovery of the region at the end of the Bakumatsu period (1853-1868). For ¥300, you can enjoy a matcha green tea while gazing at the residence's garden , from where you can see the castle of Echizen Ono.

Useful information :

武家屋敷旧内山家 Bukeyashiki Kyûuchiyamake, jô-chô 10-7

Tel:0779-65-6122

Open every day

Prices: adult ¥200, child free. Tea ceremony: ¥300

From April to October, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Useful information :

宝慶寺, Hokyoji, 1-2 Hokyoji

Tel:0779-65-8833

Free admission

Closed from mid-December to mid-January

Site

Read: Eiheiji Temple

Nature walks

• Karikomi Pond

The breathtaking view of this pond offers, with the reflection of the surrounding oaks and beeches , something mystical to all passers-by who venture there. The most common is to go there in the fall when the Japanese maples turn a bright red . We then obtain a mixture of red, orange, with a tint of gold, a real firework of flamboyant colors meeting on the surface of the water.

See: Koyo, autumn in red and gold

The pond, with a circumference of 400m , then becomes a tourist spot attracting locals and travelers alike. The more adventurous among you can venture to climb the snow-covered paths of the Gankyôjamade mountain in winter to discover a completely different Karikomi of immaculate whiteness.

• The Secret Forest Heike Daira

By taking Route 157, you will find on the other side of Lake Manahime a mountain called Ubagatake. This mountain is home to a 40-hectare rainforest, populated by more than 10,000 Japanese beeches . It is said that there was a village there where the vanquished of the famous battle between the Taira of the Minamoto had taken refuge, told in the “The Tale of the Heike”. This village felled by torrential rains would have been buried.

Today, the place is prized for its verdant colors in early summer and for its red maple trees in fall . It will delight all nature lovers and give you the opportunity to explore the diversity of wild Japan's fauna and flora .

Further on, you will then come to the man-made Nine-Headed Dragon Lake , formed by the damming of the river. Several points of view make it possible to admire this superb lake 13 km long ; but the most popular photo remains the one depicting the Hagasebashi Bridge crossing the gorge formed by the erosion of the river, with its mountains donning their autumn colors. This bridge is actually a prototype of the large Seto Bridge that connects Shikoku Island to Honshu Island . You can also travel to the lake by train on the Kuzuryû Line from Fukui Station or Echizen-Ono Station, stopping at “Kuzuryûko” station.

• The ecological garden of Ono

Concerned about environmental problems, the community has made a community garden available to citizens to develop tree planting protection actions . Every year, primary school children go there in April to sow oak acorns, the seedlings of which will be replanted in October in the mountains. Depending on the period, you can walk around admiring the sunflowers or the cosmos all around the park.

Useful information :

越前おおのエコフィールド, Echizen Ono ecofield, kamishô district, tôgô

Tel:0779-66-1141

Free

Site