Mikuni Town

Mikuni Town 三国町
Mikuni is a town in the northwest of Fukui. The people of Mikuni are mainly farmers, fisherman and salary men working in the surrounding towns. Explore the old part of the town which runs along the river in a narrow strip from Mikuni Jinja 三国神社(Shinto shrine) through to Sunset Beach. Mikuni holds two festivals a year and is worth a visit.

Town Map Useful and interesting places in Mikuni Town.

View Mikuni Town Map and Area Guide in a larger map

Getting here and away
BY TRAIN
Mikuni is about northwest of Fukui City. It is not on the JR line but you can take the Echizen train. From Fukui City, the single carriage train leaves track 1 or 2 of the small Echizen station at the back of Fukui JR station. Check the kanji on the front of the train. It takes 42 minutes and costs 860\ to Mikuni Station. Trains leave Fukui from 6: 00 am and run on the hour and 50 minutes past the hour until 8:00pm. Then they run at only 20 past the hour until 10:20pm. Trains leave Mikuni Station at 15 and 45 minutes past the hour until 6:45pm. After that, they leave Mikuni at 7:45, 8:45 and finally at 9:15pm.

BY BUS
Buses are available from Mikuni to Awara Onsen Station (Kanazu) or to Fukui bus station. However, they are slower and more expensive than trains (one way to Fukui is 840\). A one day pass for 1000\ can be purchased at Mikuni Station.

BY CAR
Driving from Fukui, take Awara Kaido, Rte. 7 or Rte.8 and head north, following the signs. Route 5, along the coast, is a scenic alternative. The fastest way to Mikuni from Fukui City is west along Sakura Dori and then following signs to Mikuni / Tojinbo. To get to Katsuyama from Mikuni, follow Route 17 in Maruoka.

Facilities

IZA
This is the biggest shopping complex in Mikuni, complete with a McDonalds and a Mister Donuts. Kabos CD and Bookstore is nearby. It closes at 8pm.

HONEY
A big supermarket and open until 10 pm.

Video Rental
PEGASUS VIDEO is next to a drugstore, down the road from the ALT's apartment.
There is also a video shop next to the Circle K heading out of Mikuni.
Harue’s Tsutaya video store is a better alternative.

Sports Stores

STEP ONE
The best bike shop for miles is run by Iron Man Banjo-san. He'll give you a 10% discount off anything you buy if you pay cash, deliver your bike for you, repair it, and give you advice on the best places to cycle. He has a huge range of bikes from “granny bikes” to Tour de France- type models. He has to order most of them, which takes between days and a week.

LA SURFIS
Located at the north end of Sunset Beach, it’s the best place to buy surf and snowboard gear. The owner, Seigo Akado, is an ex- Japan no. 1 (world no. 8) windsurfer and he still makes the Japan top 20 even though he is 40. He and his wife, Chizuko are fluent in English and really cool and they'll want to be friends with you if you stop by. You can also rent snowboard and surf gear. Lessons are also available for surfing, snowboarding, windsurfing, water-skiing, etc. Seigo also sells kite surfing and kite boarding equipment.

Sports and Recreation

MIKUNI ONSEN
This is located on the south tip of Sunset Beach. It's a striking round building. A bargain at 500\, it's a really good place to wind down. The men's baths face the sea, and have an amazing view of the setting sun, while the women have a view of the sunset and the aluminum smelter; baths are swapped occasionally with only a sign’s warning.

MIKUNI GYM
This is a free gym in the large concrete building opposite the Fukui Bank. It's stands closest to the main road, the 2nd building from Town Hall. The equipment is quite old, mainly free weights and a few machines. The nearest high quality (and high price) gym is Acty in Harue. There is also Maruoka Sports land in Maruoka.

UNDO KOEN
This is a big sports complex on top of the hill, which includes a soccer pitch, a 50m pool, baseball stadium, running track and a park with a cool 65 m long slide.

Restaurants

TOMATO&ONION
Open until 2am, the food isn’t superb but the beer is quite cheap.

ATOM BOY
A conveyor-belt sushi bar that can cater to vegetarians.

AKIYOSHI YAKITORI
Meat and chicken gizzards on sticks. Fine for a snack, but order rice if you want to leave full and with money in your pocket.

ICHIBAN
An izakaya (eating house) next to the T&O. Cheap and cheerful, Ichiban gets really busy and is a great place to hang with the locals. There is also a good cheap okonomiyaki restaurant above Bar Ichiban.

BIRDLAND
Housed in a log cabin, this pizzeria & café has the best pizza in Japan (seriously) and a light-hearted, comfortable atmosphere. Birdland is run by Manabu and Junko; Manabu studied pizza-making in Naples and will fire up the tastiest pizzas in a real brick oven. The owners are really kind and great to talk to if you speak some Japanese. People come from all over to eat here, and it also has some of the best hot chocolate in the prefecture. Closed Mondays.

CALBEE
A big neon yakiniku joint next to Atom Boy. Cook your own meat on the grill at each table. Good fun, relaxed, but a little expensive. There is also karaoke in the same building.

NUAGE LIBRE
Next to Honey's, this restaurant is a cute little French cafe. It specializes in drinks and cakes. The cakes are delicious but expensive. They also do a lunch set for about 1000 Yen. It’s sister store, Nuage Volte, is in Fukui City. Open until 8 pm.

SALVATORE
A popular Italian restaurant on the hill near Undo Koen; it’s not easy to find so you may have to ask someone. The owner, Humiya, doesn't speak English but is really friendly. The food is expensive but really good.

Bars

SANCTUARY COCKTAIL
Drinks are from ¥900. Go past the station, along the road, then over the railway tracks. Turn right at the first turn (Aoba Dori) past a gas station. After that, go up the hill and take the second right. It’s on the right.

SAMA SAMA
This small Balinese style bar is down by Sunset Beach by Mikuni Onsen. It’s run by Koji and his wife; Koji lived in Australia and speaks excellent English. The food is good Japanese and western and they serve cocktails, wine, and beer. It is a really chill bar with a good atmosphere. The local surfers hang out there.

Attractions

TAKIDANJI TEMPLE
A small place with a beautiful little Zen garden. Definitely worth a visit. From Mikuni train station turn right and go straight down the road for a few minutes.

MIKUNI MUSEUM
The Dutch artist M.C. Escher is said to have lived here for a number of years. This onion-domed building was an elementary school by the river. When it was destroyed, the building was rebuilt in its present location. There is a good view from the dome. The museum is just across the street on the north side of Mikuni High School.

MIKUNI JINJA SHRINE
This is in Sanno, the old part of Mikuni. It is very peaceful and old, and it's an excellent place to explore on a hot summer afternoon. This is the focal point of the Mikuni Festival, held in May each year. To get there, follow Route 5 (the coast road) into Mikuni. Cross Shinbo bridge into Mikuni and turn right just before entering the tunnel. Mikuni Jinja is on your left after a small hill.

SUNSET BEACH
As you approach Mikuni, follow the signs to the beach. The swimming season is limited by jellyfish, but you can surf, wind sail or boogyboard there.

Beaches
There are a few in the area. The beach near Tojimbo is called Hamaji Beach. To get there, follow Rt.7 north, past Tojimbo and beyond the Aquarium. Takasu Beach, along the Echizen coastline near Mikuni, is also nice.

TOJIMBO
Tojimbo is certainly a sight. Infamous in the Hokuriku area as a suicide spot, it is also a top tourist location. Leading up to the rocks are many shops and fresh seafood restaurants that close early. For about ¥800, there is a boat that goes around the formations and toward Oshima island. To get to Tojimbo, follow Route 7 from Mikuni and follow the signs. There is also a bus available from Mikuni Station.

OSHIMA ISLAND
This tiny island has a Shinto shrine, and is linked to the mainland by a long red bridge. If you do walk around, make sure you go clockwise, not anticlockwise. Folklore says that the bodies of the people who have committed suicide off the Tojimbo cliffs wash up on Oshima and their ghosts haunt the island. Walking around clockwise protects you.

Festivals and Seasonal

Attractions

MIKUNI FIREWORKS
This display takes place over the sea every year on August 11th and is pretty amazing. It is very crowded (some several thousand people on a small beach), so be sure to arrive early and hang out on the beach. It is not advisable to drive there; take the train.

MIKUNI FESTIVAL
This takes place between the 19th and 21st of May and is the 3rd largest festival in the Hokuriku region. On the 20th, there's a procession of floats with huge paper figures of historical Japanese people. These floats are pushed by locals and are impressive. The festival centers around Mikuni Jinja.