Tourism EXPO Japan 2025 Aichi/Central Japan
Wakasa Heritage – Connecting the Sea and Kyoto ~ Imperial food purveyors and the Mackerel Road ~ (Fukui Pref.)
JOURNEY TO WAKASA AND OBAMA
Connecting Kyoto to the Sea
Shrines and Temples | Historic Sites | Cultural Heritage| Rites and Festivals
Traditional Crafts | Scenic Spots | Lush Nature | Local Food
Ocean views, delicious seafood, rich history, and a welcoming community eager to share their culture and traditions with visitors… All this and more awaits you on your journey!
The seaside city of Obama and the neighboring town of Wakasa may not be as well known as tourist hubs like Tokyo and Kyoto, but this historic region has a lot to offer for visitors willing to venture a little way off the beaten track!
Driving what is now known as the Saba Kaido (Mackerel Road) or taking a train along the scenic Lake Biwa and the Sea of Japan will bring you to Obama and Wakasa in Fukui Prefecture. This rural area has a population of approximately 41,000 people, who mostly make a living in the agricultural and commercial fishing industries. Local traditional crafts include lacquerware (especially chopsticks), agate carving, and washi papermaking. Popular cuisine features winter crab, kuzu manju sweets, pickled sea bream topped with bamboo leaves, Yatabe green onions, fresh eels, ume plums, and a dizzying variety of mackerel! Seasonal tourism usually consists of beach lovers, autumn color chasers, and seafood connoisseurs, but Obama and Wakasa are worth visiting for their heritage and art as well.
In earlier periods of history, when Kyoto was still the capital of Japan, mountain routes through Wakasa to Obama were Kyoto's primary mode of access to the Sea of Japan. This went beyond just fishing, as the port in Obama also served as the gateway to the Asian mainland. With foreign goods and travelers arriving from abroad to proceed to Kyoto along with shipments of local staple foods such as fish and salt, Obama and Wakasa inevitably absorbed aspects of their trading partners' refined culture, some of which has survived to this day in the form of culinary traditions, architecture, hospitality customs, and festivals.
Connecting Kyoto to the Sea
Shrines and Temples | Historic Sites | Cultural Heritage| Rites and Festivals
Traditional Crafts | Scenic Spots | Lush Nature | Local Food
Ocean views, delicious seafood, rich history, and a welcoming community eager to share their culture and traditions with visitors… All this and more awaits you on your journey!
The seaside city of Obama and the neighboring town of Wakasa may not be as well known as tourist hubs like Tokyo and Kyoto, but this historic region has a lot to offer for visitors willing to venture a little way off the beaten track!
Driving what is now known as the Saba Kaido (Mackerel Road) or taking a train along the scenic Lake Biwa and the Sea of Japan will bring you to Obama and Wakasa in Fukui Prefecture. This rural area has a population of approximately 41,000 people, who mostly make a living in the agricultural and commercial fishing industries. Local traditional crafts include lacquerware (especially chopsticks), agate carving, and washi papermaking. Popular cuisine features winter crab, kuzu manju sweets, pickled sea bream topped with bamboo leaves, Yatabe green onions, fresh eels, ume plums, and a dizzying variety of mackerel! Seasonal tourism usually consists of beach lovers, autumn color chasers, and seafood connoisseurs, but Obama and Wakasa are worth visiting for their heritage and art as well.
In earlier periods of history, when Kyoto was still the capital of Japan, mountain routes through Wakasa to Obama were Kyoto's primary mode of access to the Sea of Japan. This went beyond just fishing, as the port in Obama also served as the gateway to the Asian mainland. With foreign goods and travelers arriving from abroad to proceed to Kyoto along with shipments of local staple foods such as fish and salt, Obama and Wakasa inevitably absorbed aspects of their trading partners' refined culture, some of which has survived to this day in the form of culinary traditions, architecture, hospitality customs, and festivals.
Co-exhibitor of Japan Heritage
A Quarry Turned Underground Labyrinth (Tochigi Pref.) :
Eliminating landslides ~ Crossing Kamenose at the heart of the ancient Tatsuta Road ~ (Nara, Osaka Prefectures) :
Four Cities That Supported the Mega-City of Edo ~ An Edo Travelogue through Hokuso ~ (Chiba Pref.) :
Mt. Daisen: Japan’s Largest Livestock Market ~ Livestock and devotion to Jizo Bodhisattva ~ (Tottori Pref.) :
88._THE STORY OF MULBERRY CITY :
A 1,300-Year-Old Buddhist Pilgrimage (Wakayama, Osaka, Nara, Kyoto, Shiga, Hyogo, Gifu Prefectures) :
A trip to Suruga with Japan’s travel pioneers Yaji and Kita ~ A comical Tokaido travel guide in prose and ukiyoe ~ (Shizuoka Pref.) :
An Industrial Highway for Horse-Drawn Wagons (Hyogo Pref.) :
Awa - The Birthplace of “Japan Blue” (Tokushima Pref.) :
Dewa Sanzan: A Journey to Rebirth ~ 300-year-old cedars and 2,446 stone steps ~ (Yamagata Pref.) :
From Forest Railway to Yuzu Road—The Story of Japan’s Largest Yuzu-Growing Region :
Iki, Tsushima, and the Goto Islands—Japan’s Ancient Bridge to Asia (Nagasaki Pref.) :
Japanese Tea: Eight Centuries of Tradition (Kyoto Pref.) :
Kamakura - A Historical and Cultural Mosaic (Kanagawa Pref.) :
Katsuragi Shugen ~ The home of Shugendo mountain asceticism ~ (Wakayama, Osaka, Nara Prefectures) :
Kurashiki and the Story of Fiber ~ East meets west through cotton ~ (Okayama Pref.) :
Land of Izumo,Tatara Chronicle ~A Thousand Years of Iron~ :
Merchant Ships Carrying Goods, Culture, and Big Dreams (Hokkaido, Aomori, Akita, Yamagata, Niigata, Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Tottori, Shimane, Okayama, Hiroshima, Kagawa Prefectures) :
Miracle Railroad ~ Connecting Japan to the world ~ (Fukui, Shiga Prefectures) :
Mt. Mitoku and Misasa Hot Springs Thrills and Spills: An Exciting Climb and Healing Hot Springs (Tottori Pref.) :
No.27_The Story of Komatsu's Gems&Stones-A Heritage of Stone Polished by the Flow of Time :
Onomichi(Hiroshima Pref.):A miniature garden city from the middle ages built around the onomichi channel :
Policemen Pirates of the Setonaikai Sea (Ehime, Hiroshima Prefectures) :
Pre-Historic Flame-Style Pottery of the Snow Country (Niigata Pref.) :
Preserving the Mountain Forests of the Kiso Region (Nagano Pref.) :
Saio – The Prayers of a Princess(Mie Pref.) :
Six Ancient Kilns ~ Ceramics Born and Raised in Japan ~ (Aichi, Fukui, Shiga, Hyogo and Okayama Prefectures) :
Takaoka: Flourishing Folk Culture Under the Maeda Clan ~ People, skills, heart ~ (Toyama Pref.) :
The Blessings of Life Alongside Whales (Wakayama Pref.) :
The Educational Heritage of Early Modern Japan: the origins of learning and etiquette (Mito City,Ashikaga City,Bizen City,Hita City Educational Heritage and World Heritage Registration Promotion Council) :
The Founding of Japan ~ The women who made Asuka thrive ~ (Nara Pref.) :
The Glittering History of Gold Production (Miyagi, Iwate Prefectures) 81 Awa - The Birthplace of “Japan Blue” (Tokushima Pref.) :
The Grand 1,400-Year History of Japan’s Oldest Road – Takeuchi Kaido road, Yoko-Oji (Oji) – (Osaka, Nara Prefectures) :
The Intricate World of Indigo Shibori Tie-Dyeing (Aichi Pref.) :
The Kunisaki Peninsula – Where Ogres Bring Happiness (Oita Pref.) :
The Martial Towns of the Satsuma Samurai (Kagoshima Pref.) :
The masons of Yatsushiro ~ The stone-making legacy of Masonry Town ~(Kumamoto Pref.) :
The Prehistoric Burial Mounds of Miyazaki (Miyazaki Pref.) :
The Story Behind the Tale of Momotaro (Okayama Pref.) :
Tokamachi, the Ultimate Snow Country: Snowbelt Story (Niigata Pref.)（Tokamachi City Culture and Tourism Promotion Council） :
Volcanic Iwami ~ Prehistoric forests and the Iwami Ginzan silver mines~ (Shimane Pref.) :
Wakanoura Bay ~ A Treasure House of Scenic Beauty ~ (Wakayama Pref.) :
Wakasa Heritage – Connecting the Sea and Kyoto ~ Imperial food purveyors and the Mackerel Road ~ (Fukui Pref.) :
”Shikoku Henro”⎯ Circular pilgrimage route and unique pilgrimage culture :
【Japan Heritage】Landscape Interwoven with Vineyards -Kyotoh-Yamanashi Wine County- :
| Booth No | E-019 |
|---|---|
| Area | Travel-related companies（Inbound to JAPAN） |
| Official site | http://www1.city.obama.fukui.jp/japan_heritage/story/index.php?lang=EN&id=3&course=1 |
| SNS Links |     |
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