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Traditional Crafts

Echizen Take-ningyo dolls

Echizen Take-ningyo is a form of traditional art based on themes from kabuki, kyogen and noh theater. Bamboos grown in the severe cold in the snowy region of Japan are used to make these beautiful dolls. The art of Echizen Take-ningyo was created quite recently based on a novel by Minakami Tsutomu. Although the art is not traditional, the dolls have become representation of Fukui's folk craft. Their simplicity is very attractive but much skill is needed to cut the bamboo into very thin pieces to express the lady's fine hair.

Specialties

Echizen crab, king of the Japan Sea
The male of the species is known as zuwai, the female, seiko. In the San-in district (central Honshu), it is called matsuba. Breeding this crab is both tricky and time consuming so even in Fukui it is fairly expensive; but its taste is supreme. The season opens in November and the best season is on the latter half of February. Never fail to visit in winter, if you want the best crab. Echizen crab

Oroshi-soba
Oroshi-soba (soba with grated radish)
Special products are unlikely to be enjoyed by local people, but soba (buckwheat noodles) is different in Fukui. The people never miss soba for lunch and after having drinks with their friends. A simple dish of cold soba with grated radish and shaved bonito is delicious. The taste is so simple that one quickly becomes addicted. The city is full of good soba restaurants.

Habutae-mochi
Confectioneries used in the tea ceremony; made of high quality mochi flour (rice flour), sugar and millet jelly. The name habutae comes from its softness like silk. Kinbai-do is said to be the original brand (0776-24-0383). Its innovator worked out the technique and made an offering to the Matsudaira family, the lord of the Fukui clan. Habutae-mochi

Echizen-uni
Echizen-uni (paste of sea urchin eggs)
Echizen-uni by Tentatsu (0776-22-1679) is considered one of the three delicacies in Japan since the Yedo period (1603 - 1867). It is known that sea urchin eggs taken on the coast of Echizen are salted with no additional preservatives, and the method of preparation has been kept secret since the beginning. The containers are either boxes made of paulownia or Echizen-nuri (Lacquer ware) so they can properly be presented to a feudal lord.

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