[For Seniors] Fukui Prefecture Local Quiz! Deepen your knowledge with famous sightseeing spots, dialects, and local cuisine

dinosaur

The Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum in Katsuyama, Fukui Prefecture, is world-renowned as one of the three great dinosaur museums in the world. Inside its vast halls, numerous full dinosaur skeletons are on display, offering an awe-inspiring experience. It’s the kind of place that will thrill not only children but adults as well!

Tojinbo

Tojinbo is a marine erosion cliff located in Mikuni, Sakai City, Fukui Prefecture, designated as a National Natural Monument and Place of Scenic Beauty. Rugged rock faces stretch for about one kilometer along the Sea of Japan, and their dynamic scenery overwhelms visitors. Geologically, it is a rare formation known as columnar joints of pyroxene andesite, and structures of this scale are said to be virtually unparalleled worldwide. It is also famous for its beautiful sunsets, making it a place you’ll want to visit at least once.

Tsurugashi

Tsuruga City is a beautiful port town facing the Sea of Japan, located in the Reinan region of Fukui Prefecture. It has long prospered as a key hub of maritime transportation, with thriving industries such as kelp processing from Hokkaido and fisheries. The city also boasts many historical sightseeing spots, including Kehi Jingu, the foremost shrine of Echizen, and the nostalgic Tsuruga Red Brick Warehouse, attracting many visitors from within and outside the prefecture. Although the kanji 敦 is often read as “atsu,” in this place name it is read “tsuru,” so please take this opportunity to remember it.

Europe-ken

The sauce katsu-don beloved by the people of Fukui Prefecture is said to have been created in the Taisho era by Masutaro Takabatake, the founder of “Europe-ken.” After training in cooking in Germany, Mr. Takabatake modified Worcestershire sauce to suit Japanese tastes, coated thin slices of pork cutlet with fine breadcrumbs and fried them, then coated them with a special sauce and served them over rice. It’s a mouthwatering dish that pairs perfectly with plain white rice!

I

In the Fukui dialect, “ura” means “I” or “myself.” It’s a word mostly used by men, though women may use it in close relationships as well. If you hear someone from Fukui say “ura ga ~,” remember that they’re talking about themselves.

about 17 meters

The Echizen Great Buddha at Seidaiji Temple in Katsuyama, Fukui Prefecture, stands about 17 meters tall. This is larger than the roughly 15-meter Great Buddha at Tōdai-ji in Nara, making it the largest indoor seated Great Buddha in Japan. It was constructed at the end of the Shōwa era by a local entrepreneur. The spacious temple grounds also feature a five-story pagoda and a Japanese garden, making it one of Fukui Prefecture’s most captivating landmarks. Be sure to experience its overwhelming scale at least once.

Obon (the Japanese Buddhist Festival of the Dead)

“Tobitsuki dango” is a traditional confection from the Reihoku region of Fukui Prefecture, mainly made during the Obon season and offered at household Buddhist altars. There are various theories about the origin of its name, such as “because ancestors joyfully ‘leap at’ them from the other world to eat” or “because they’re so delicious you’ll want to leap at them.” In the past, they were handmade in each household and cherished as an indispensable sweet for Obon observances. Even today, during the Obon season they line the shelves of wagashi shops and supermarkets across the prefecture, and they remain beloved—especially by many older people—as a nostalgic taste of home.