Echizen Province

Echizen is a historical administrative territory in northern Fukui Prefecture along the Sea of Japan coast. The landscape includes forested mountains, wide river valleys, and agricultural plains that stretch toward the water.

The territory was established in 701 when the Taihō reforms divided the larger Koshi region into three separate administrative units. It remained a distinct territory under different ruling clans until the Meiji era.

The region takes its name from the old word for the area in front of the capitals Nara and Kyoto. Artisans still produce washi paper using methods that have changed little over more than a thousand years.

The old boundaries of the territory correspond roughly to northern Fukui Prefecture, so travelers can explore the region using present-day infrastructure. Trains connect the main towns and offer access to craft centers and historical sites along the coast.

The poet Nakatomi no Yakamori wrote many works during his exile here, shaping Japanese literature of the eighth century. His texts describe the landscape and life in this coastal territory, far from the centers of power.