Shakudani stone is green tuff produced around Mt. Asuwa. Since it is tinged with deep green when it gets wet, it is also called “Echizen blue stone”. Since it is soft and easy to process, it was used as a stone coffin buried in ancient tombs in old times. Mining of this stone was re-sumed in the medieval period and it was uti-lized widely for building materials and for daily commodities, etc.

This is a huge citadel built by Katsuie Shibata, who ruled Echizen province after Asakura clan ruined. Luis Frois, a Portuguese missionary, wrote about the beautiful appearance of Kitanosho Castle with roof tiles made of Shakudani stone. A part of excavated stone wall is preserved in the precincts of Shibata Shrine.

This is a bridge built by Katsuie Shibata half of which was made of stone and the other half made of wood. It was constructed at an important point of transportation where Hokuriku-do Road and the Asuwa River intersect. There are various views on why this bridge was built this way. However, it was widely known in the Edo period as a famous bridge or a bridge with an unusual shape in the Edo period.

Fukui Castle was constructed by Hideyasu Yuki, the first feudal lord of Fukui domain. Four moats were surrounded by solid stone wall. Shakudani stone was used for all the stone walls and it was also used for building materials for irrigation canals, underdrains, foundation stones and roof tiles for buildings, etc. The beautiful appearance of the ruins of this castle adds beauty to the townscape of Fukui City even today.

Shibahara irrigation canal supplying clean water was constructed by Yuki Hideyasu when he built Fukui Castle and castle town for the purpose of securing drinking water for the residents of castle town. Water was taken from the Kuzuryu River. Excavation survey found that stonework was partly built inside of Fukui Castle. However, the whole aspect is yet to be confirmed.

Historic site designated by Fukui City National-designated architecture

This is a hermitage Zuian Yamamoto, an in-house doctor of Fukui domain, built at the pit site of Shakudani stone at the foot of Mt. Asuwa. Shakudani stone is used abundantly for paving stones, a bridge, etc. in the passage of a beautiful garden inside the hermitage. It was used as a place for secret meetings for Shungaku Matsudaira, the domain lord, Sanai Hashimoto and other patriotic retainers at the end of the Edo period.

National-designated important cultural property (architecture)

This temple was founded by Mitsumichi Matsudaira, the 4th domain lord of Fukui domain. Approximately 1360 pieces of Shakudani stone plates are used for Senjojiki, a mousoleum where successive domain lords are enshrined, located in the mountain close to the temple precincts. Shakudani stone is also used for gravestones, fences, and gates, creating noble and majestic space.

Shakudani stone is abundantly used for stone steps of Atagozaka, Hyakuzaka, and other slopes leading to the top of Mt. Asuwa. We can see old pit sites at the foot of the mountain. Shakudani stone is also used for garden lanterns, etc. of temples and shrines built at the foot of Mt. Asuwa and their blue stone surface creates solemn atmosphere.

In the city area of Katsuyama City spreads a river terrace of the Kuzuryu River. In the Edo period, "Shichirikabe", stone walls built by piling up river stones at the cliffs of the river terrace, was constructed by utilizing the terrace. Utilizing Shichirikabe as a boundary, a castle town was built by dividing samurai residences and townhouses or temples methodically.

In Katsuyama in the Edo period, Shichirikabe was utilized as the boundary to divide the city areas under the direction of the Ogasawara clan, the domain lord, and beautiful, methodical city streets were built. Even today, townhouses with traditional architectural style and intricate slopes and alleys still remain, creating elegant taste.

Oshozu refers to underflow water that gushes out on the lowest terrace surface of the river terrace spreading in the city area of Katsuyama City. Pure water used to gush out everywhere. Today, however, Oshozu is the only place where spring water comes out. Oshozu is loved by the people of Katsuyama City together with its elegant view created by the stone wall made of round river stone.