After Ichijodani was burned, farmers used the ruins as fields. Some items of the ruins such as the Asakura Clan Hall Ruins have been well known among people, but they didn’t think such a large city was sleeping under the fields. The excavation of the ruins started in 1967. The excavation team first found garden ruins followed by foundations for many buildings, and household items from the Sengoku Period. The ruins were designated as a National Special Historic Site in 1971. Since then, over 1.7 million items have been discovered from the ruins. The restored streets and residences opened in 1984, which was considered as the first example of similar facilities in Japan.
The Asakura Clan Hall RuinsThe Suwa Residence Garden RuinsOne of the residence foundationsThe entrance of the restored streets and residencesThe restored streets and residences
My Impression
Takakage Asakura, the first lord of the clan, left his teachings to his descendants. The teachings say you should adopt your vassals by capacity and loyalty. You must not buy expensive swords, horses, and hawks without reason. You shouldn’t invite entertainers from outside paying high fees. I’m not sure if Yoshikage Asakura, the last lord of the clan, followed his ancestor’s teachings. However, I think the prosperity of Ichijodani might have caused Yoshikage’s misfortune.
The graveyard of Takakage AsakuraThe graveyard of Yoshikage Asakura
How to get There
If you want to visit there by car: It is about 10 minutes away from Fukui IC on Hokuriku Expressway. There are several parking lots along the ruins. By public transportation, it takes about 10 minutes walking from JR Ichijodani Station to the ruins of the Outbound Fortress Entrance, the edge of the whole ruins. To get to Ichijodani Station from Tokyo: Take the Hokuriku Shinkansen super express, transfer to the limited express on the Hokuriku Line at Kanazawa Station, and transfer to the Kuzuryu Line at Fukui Station. From Osaka: Take the Thunderbird limited express and transfer to the Kuzuryu Line at Fukui Station.
The signpost of the ruins in front of the Outbound Fortress Entrance
If you visit the ruins of Ichijodani Castle by driving or walking on the route along the valley, you will be surprised to see unending residence ruins on both sides of the route. The area of 278 hectares was designated as a National Special Historic Site named the Ichijodani Aasakura Clan Ruins. Over 2,300 unearthed items from the site were also designated as Important Cultural Properties.
The aerial photo around the castle
The ruins along the valleyThe ruins of the castle town
You can also see the ruins of fortress entrances at both edges of the site. The ruins of the Outbound Fortress Entrance still have an alternate entrance using huge stones. The entrances resemble a castle gate. The Inbound Fortress Entrance was restored in 1990 and it is 105m long and 5m tall earthen walls.
The ruins of the Outbound Fortress EntranceThe alternate entrance using huge stonesThe restored Inbound Fortress Entrance
Restored Castle Town of Sengoku Period
Thanks to the achievement of excavation, you can visit the about 200m long restored streets and residences at the center of the ruins. If you stand in the streets, you will feel like you were in a real medieval city.
The restored streets and residences
You can also enter these restored residences. For example, in a merchant house, the mannequins of merchants sell something like potteries.
The inside of the restored merchant house
In a warrior’s house, the male mannequins play Japanese chess in the Japanese style drawing room, while the servant mannequins prepare a meal in the kitchen. These items were all restored based on the relics from the site, the remaining pictures, and buildings in other sites.
The restored warrior’s houseThe mannequins playing Japanese chess in the Japanese style drawing roomThe inside of the kitchen
Asakura Clan Hall Ruins in Center
You should check out the ruins of the Asakura Clan Hall Ruins which is located on the opposite side of the restored streets separated by the Ichijodani River. The hall was largest building in Ichijodani, which was used by the lord of the clan. The ruins are about 120m square, and still have earthen walls and water moat surrounding them. The ruins also have a Chinese style gate building in front of them. The remaining gate is that of the Shounin Temple which was built on the ruins in the Edo Period after the hall was burned. The ruins and the temple gate fit in with each other very much.
The Asakura Clan Hall Ruins surrounded by the earthen walls and water moatThe Chinese style gate building at the ruins entrance
Inside the ruins, the location of each building is shown as a flat exhibition, so you can understand what buildings were built in the past.
The inside of the hall ruinsA view of the hall ruins from the upper back side
Actual Special Places of Scenic Beauty Gardens
There are also several hall ruins for the Asakura Clan’s relatives. Moreover, four of the ruins of the clan’s gardens around the halls have also been designated as Special Places of Scenic Beauty since 1991. It is surprising that the gardens as they were in the 16th Century, still impress people in the present time.
The ruins of Nakanogoten Hall, one of the hall ruins for the Asakura Clan’s relatives
For example, Yudono Garden Ruins above the Asakura Clan Hall Ruins have the combination of wild rocks. It is said that the atmosphere of the garden is similar to that of the Sengoku Period.
The Yudono Garden Ruins
It is said that Suwa Residence Garden, now called the Suwa Residence Garden Ruins, was originally built for Yoshikage Asakura’s wife. It is a beautiful waterfall garden made using huge stones. The largest stone in the garden is said to be the largest one for a waterfall garden in Japan.
The Suwa Residence RuinsThe Suwa Residence Garden RuinsThe garden was made using huge stones
