Ichijōdani Asakura Family Historic Ruins



The Ichijōdani Asakura Family Historic Ruins (一乗谷朝倉氏遺跡) are historic ruins located in the Kidonouchi section of Fukui, Fukui Prefecture, Japan. This area was controlled by the Asakura clan for 103 years during the Sengoku period.

The castle town was founded in 1471 and became a major cultural, military, and population center in Japan at the time, with a peak population of over 10,000. The town was burnt down in 1573 when the Asakura family was defeated by Oda Nobunaga.

Excavation of the ruins began in 1967, revealing the shape of the whole town, including the house of the lord, samurai residences, temples, houses of merchants, houses of craft workers, and streets. The samurai residences, merchant houses, etc. have since been restored along the 200 meter long street. Four Japanese gardens were unearthed and partially restored, and the ruins of Ichijodani Castle remain on top of a hill, with a scenic view of Fukui.

Cultural properties

 * Special Places of Scenic Beauty &mdash; Ichijōdani Asakura Family Gardens (Suwa Yakata-ato Garden, Asakura Yakata-ato Garden, Yudono-ato Garden, and Nanyoji-ato Garden)
 * Special Historic Sites &mdash; Whole area in ruins. The area is 278 hectares.
 * Important Cultural Properties &mdash; 2343 within excavated article from the ruins