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Now is the time to eat "Shin-Soba" in Fukui, the Soba Kingdom. New Soba Festival will be held （ Sakai City, Fukui Prefecture ）.

About Fukui, the Soba Kingdom

Fukui Prefecture is located in the 36th to 38th parallel of northern latitude, where highly flavored soba is said to be produced, and is highly regarded throughout Japan as a production area of high quality soba.

And in the following ranking

・ Delicious Soba Production Area Award [Japan Soba Preservation Society]

1st place （ 2020, 2022, 2023 ）

・ " ？ [Netorabo （ IT Media Corporation ） ]

1st （ 2021, 2022, 2023 ）

Both have won three consecutive titles Fukui Prefecture is a nationally recognized soba kingdom.

Fukui Prefecture's soul food "Echizen Oroshi Soba"




Fukui Prefecture's soba has a rich aroma and flavor and the noodles are black in color. Famous as soul food, Echizen oroshi soba is served with plenty of grated radish, shavings, and chopped green onions. You can enjoy it in various ways at each restaurant, such as pouring the broth over the soba or dipping the soba in the broth like zarusoba.

（ Neravo "Ranking of Prefectures with Delicious Soba" ！ No.1 is "Fukui Prefecture" [Latest poll result in 2024] ）

The secret of Fukui Prefecture's delicious soba is native species

Why Fukui Prefecture's soba is so delicious ？

It comes from a variety of soba called "native species. While most of the commonly distributed soba varieties have been improved in order to "increase the amount of buckwheat that can be harvested" or "make it more resistant to pests and diseases," Fukui's soba is mainly made from "native varieties" that have taken root and been grown in each region for a long time.

Native varieties are difficult to grow, but each one has its own character and is generally said to have excellent taste and flavor.

Characteristics of Maruoka native varieties
The representative native strains in Fukui Prefecture are "Ono native", "Maruoka native", "Imajo native", and "Miyamanamiyaji native", but here we will explain about Maruoka native.

Along with Ono zairai, this variety has a large area under cultivation and is grown mainly in Maruoka-cho, Sakai City.

Maruoka-zairai is characterized by its small size compared to other native varieties in Fukui, and its sweet skin has a beautiful light blue-green color and is highly valued for its fragrance.

Soba no Sato Maruoka New Soba Festival

We will hold a new soba festival where you can enjoy freshly made grated soba made from such freshly harvested "Maruoka Zairai" ！


Also, this year, Maruoka To commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Maruoka Clan's birth, grated soba with a special soba plate will be sold in a limited edition of 100 servings.

○Date

November 23, 2024 （ Sat ） 10 ： 00-15 ： 00

○Location

Special venue in front of Ichibujyo Tea House （ 3-1-3 Kasumi-cho, Maruokamachi, Sakai City, Fukui Prefecture ）

○Sales

1 cup of oroshi soba ： 500 yen

1 cup of oroshi soba （ with memorial plate ） ： 1,500 yen
Please take this opportunity to enjoy freshly harvested, aromatic new soba.


[Reference Information]

Sakai City has many other sightseeing spots and foods that Fukui Prefecture is proud of. Some of them are introduced below.

＜ Nature ＞

The beautiful coastline, including Echizen Matsushima in the Echizen-Kaga Kaigan National Park, the Kuzuryu River and Takeda River, forested areas in the eastern part of the city, and vast rice fields supporting Fukui Prefecture's number one rice producer, are rich and beautiful "sea ・ mountain Rivers", and the city is blessed with natural beauty.


Tojinbo
A national natural treasure ・ famous for the view of the rough waves of the Sea of Japan lapping the cliffs. The dynamic rock cliff stretches for about 1 km. It is said that there are only three places in the world where such columnar joints of pyroxene andesite are found in such a wide area, making it an extremely valuable place from a geological viewpoint. The dazzling blue sky and the Sea of Japan in early summer, the setting sun as the sun sets over the Sea of Japan in autumn, and the wild waves and cold winds as snow flutters in the air. All of these are the wonderful scenery that Tojinbo and the great nature of the Sea of Japan show us in each of the four seasons.


Echizen Matsushima
The landscape is made up of the same columnar jointed rocks as Tojinbo, dotted with unusual rock formations, and a walking path allows you to cross to a small island and look into a cave. With the Echizen Matsushima Aquarium and lodging facilities adjacent to the island, it is a popular tourist destination for families and excursions.

＜ Tourist Attractions ＞

Tojinbo, one of the most scenic spots in Japan, Mikuni Sunset Beach and other beaches, Mikuni Minato, which prospered through trade with Kitamae-sen vessels, Maruoka Castle, with 12 existing keepers, and other historical resources.


Mikuni Minato
Mikuni Minato is located at the mouth of the Kuzuryu River, the largest river in Fukui Prefecture. The town has prospered since ancient times and has a long history, so much so that the name "Mikuni" is mentioned in documents dating back more than 1,000 years. The history ・ left behind by the Kitamae-bune, of course, but the town also retains an emotional atmosphere with its rows of machiya (traditional townhouses) with lattice doors and historical buildings that retain the appearance of wealthy merchants.


Maruoka Castle
Maruoka Castle, also known as Kasumiga Castle, is a flat mountain castle built on an independent hill in the plain. Floating in the midst of cherry blossoms in full bloom in spring, it is a fantastically beautiful sight. It was built by Katsuyoyo Shibata, a nephew of Katsuie Shibata, under the order of Nobunaga Oda, as a preparation for the Ichimukai Revolt in the Warring States Period (1576). The castle tower was built on an independent hill with an elevation of 27 m. The castle tower was surrounded by the Ninomaru (second circle) and inner moat, and the Sanomaru (third circle) and outer moat were located outside of the main circle. The castle keep was built before the Edo period (1603-1867), and is one of the 12 existing keeps that remain in their original form to this day. It was completely destroyed by the Fukui Earthquake of 1948, but was restored in 1955 by reusing many of the materials of the castle tower and its main components such as the stonewalls. Of the 12 existing castle keepers, Maruoka Castle is the only one that has been restored from a completely collapsed state. The ancient and dignified appearance of the castle tower as it stands today is a testament to the fact that it has risen and recovered from the difficult path of near extinction, and its history is one of unparalleled turbulent destiny.


Yushima Island
The nature of this island has never been touched by man. The entire island with its legends is also a nature-rich walking trail. The Ominato Shrine stands at the back of the island, and on April 20 every year, the local residents hold a festival at the Ominato Shrine.

＜ Food ＞

Echizen crab, a representative winter delicacy in Fukui Prefecture, and other seafood, soba noodles, rakkyo and other agricultural products, wild vegetables, fried tofu, Wakasa beef, and other foods are the main attraction of this area.


Echizen Crab
Famous for being presented to the imperial family every year, Mikuni-cho's "Echizen Crab" is also called "the king of winter delicacies" because its meat is well packed inside the shell and has sweet and tight fibers.


Sweet Shrimp
Sweet shrimp is a supreme taste of the Sea of Japan, as popular as Echizen crab. Many fresh sweet shrimps with a clear red color can be found at Mikuni Fishing Port.

＜ Culture ・ Tradition ＞

The traditional technology industry is thriving, including woven brand names and quality labels for fashion and other items, and Velcro tape, which holds the largest market share in Japan.


Echizen-ori ： Name tags
Maruoka is a major textile production area, and demand is increasing for woven names used as patches and sports names. Echizen textiles are also produced for use as souvenirs for tourists. The company's main product is name tags applied to clothing, and it boasts a 70% share of the domestic market.


"One brush of warning", a short letter written by Honda Sakuzaemon Shigetsugu, a loyal retainer of Tokugawa Ieyasu, to his wife from the battlefield
"One brush of warning, don't let Osen cry, feed the horse" （ "Osen" means Honda Narushige, later lord of Echizen Maruoka Castle （ "Sen" means "Sen" in Japanese. <15867> The monument of his childhood name Senchiyo ） ） is located in Maruoka Castle. Taking a cue from this monument, we have been trying to reproduce the shortest letter in Japan and to revive the letter writing culture. Since 1993, we have been inviting entries for the "One-Stroke Award" with an annual theme, and since 2003, the "New One-Stroke Award" has received entries from all over Japan and from abroad.