[Fukui Prefecture] Eat, drink, and take home! Taste the gourmet food and souvenirs of Wakasa Town

• Table of Contents
• What kind of place is Wakasa Town in Fukui Prefecture ?
• Recommended gourmet food in Wakasa Town
• Alcohol you'll want to try in Wakasa Town
• If you want to buy souvenirs in Wakasa Town, this is the place!
• How to get to Wakasa Town

What kind of place is Wakasa Town in Fukui Prefecture ?

Wakasa Town is located in the southwest of Fukui Prefecture, almost in the center of Japan. Located in the heart of Wakasa Bay Bay Quasi-National Park, the town is rich in water resources, including the Mikata Five Lakes, which are registered under the Ramsar Convention to protect internationally important wetlands, Uriwari Falls, which has been selected as one of Japan's 100 famous water sources, and the Kitagawa River, known for its beauty.

The town has a long history, with many ruins and ancient tombs from the Jomon period scattered throughout. Furthermore, the town was once the "Mackerel Highway" connecting the Nihon Sea with Kyoto , where many goods and cultures passed through, and the Sakae post town of Kumagawa-juku, which was located along the road, still retains its old streetscape. It has been designated a national group of traditional buildings.

Wakasa Town is blessed with abundant nature, including the Nihon Sea and the Mikata Five Lakes, and is also home to a wealth of delicious seafood delicacies. Wakasa pufferfish, eel, and bigfin reef squid are famous local delicacies that you should definitely try.

It is also the birthplace of Fukui plums, and the cultivation of plums, pears, and other fruits is thriving. There are also guesthouses and inns, and many tourists visit the area.

This time, we will introduce some of Wakasa Town's most recommended specialties.

Recommended gourmet food in Wakasa Town

Eels from the Mikata Five Lakes

Mikata Five Lakes, a tourist spot representing the Wakasa area of ​​Fukui Prefecture , is the collective name for five lakes that straddle the Mihama Town and Wakasa Town in Fukui Prefecture . The five lakes all appear a deep blue color due to differences in water quality and depth, and are also known as the "Five-Colored Lakes."

A wide variety of seafood, from saltwater to freshwater fish such as eel, carp, goby, and sea bass, can be caught here, and the area has long been known as a treasure trove of food ingredients. The sustainable fishing culture of the Mikata Five Lakes was recognized as a Japanese Agricultural Heritage Site in February 2019. Furthermore, in May 2019, the breathtaking view of the mystical Mikata Five Lakes from the "Footbath in the Sky" at Rainbow Line Summit Park was selected for the "Cool Japan Award 2019," attracting many tourists from overseas.

Among these, eels caught in the Mikata Five Lakes have long been known as a luxury food ingredient, and are so highly regarded that they were transported alive to Kyoto during the Edo period and presented to the Imperial family during the Showa period.

Compared to regular eels, the eels from the Mikata Five Lakes are characterized by their narrow, pointed mouths, bluish backs, and round, thick tails. They are also known as "kuchiboso aouunagi" (thin-mouthed blue eels).

The season is from May to November, and wild eels caught in the morning are cooked on the same day, so they are extremely fresh. November is considered the most delicious time of the year, as the eels have stored up fat to survive the cold winter. The taste is light and refined, and the texture that melts in your mouth is exquisite.

Eating eel has long been a tradition in Japan to relieve fatigue. Wakasa Town is dotted with restaurants specializing in eel dishes. Be sure to try the highly nutritious eel from the Mikata Five Lakes to build up your stamina.

Fukui plum

Fukui Prefecture is one of the largest producers of plums along the Sea of ​​Nihon Sea. Wakasa Town in particular is the birthplace of Fukui plums and is proud of its plum cultivation. Since ancient times, Japanese people have eaten salted plums as a preserved food, making them a familiar food. Umeboshi are a popular and standard filling for rice balls and can be considered a soul food for the Japanese people.

Fukui plums, with a rich history dating back 150 years to the Tenpo era (1830-1844) of the Edo period, first began to be cultivated in Wakasa Town and are a specialty of the Mikata Five Lakes area. There are two main varieties of plums: "Beniei Ume," which is mainly used for umeboshi, and "Kensaki," which is used for umeshu (pickled plums). They have small seeds and soft flesh that is highly regarded nationwide for its delicious taste.

Wakasa Town , which ships 80% of Fukui plums, has plum shops attached to farms, the Ume no Sato Kaikan run by JA Fukui Prefecture, and Mikata Goko Roadside Station, where you can purchase plums. In addition to pickled plums and plum wine, they also sell a variety of plum products, such as plum jam.

Alcohol you'll want to try in Wakasa Town

Kamo and Torihama

Founded in 1920, Torihama Sake Brewery is a long-established sake brewery in Wakasa Town. The brewery is designated as a national registered tangible cultural property and brews sake that is rooted in the local culture of Wakasa Town. The brewery's distinctive feature is its crisp, sweet sake, which pairs well with the richly seasoned dishes made with carp and crucian carp caught in the Mikata Five Lakes.

This sweet sake is unique among Fukui Prefecture's local sakes, and is rare even nationwide. You can enjoy a light, sweet sake that has been nurtured by the local climate and food culture.

●Torihama Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.
59-30 Torihama, Wakasa Town, Fukui Prefecture ://www.torihama.jp

BENICHU

Wakasa Mikata Beverage is a company that produces additive-free plum wine in its own factory using 100% Beniebai plums, a rare variety of Fukui plum that is a specialty of Wakasa Town .

"BENICHU" is a dry plum wine for adults, with a new sensation of reduced sweetness and no added sugar. The high alcohol content brings out the plum's aroma and refreshing acidity, and it is free of sugar and purines, with no additives, giving it a pure taste. It is recommended to drink it on the rocks, or in the summer, mix it with soda like a highball.

Wakasa Mikata Beverage Co., Ltd. 59-13-1 Torihama, Wakasa-cho, Mikata- Wakasa Town Fukui Prefecture https://benichu.net

If you want to buy souvenirs in Wakasa Town, this is the place!

If you're looking to buy souvenirs in Wakasa Town, we recommend the roadside station, which sells a variety of local specialties.

Roadside Station "Mikata Five Lakes"

Facing the scenic Mikata Five Lakes, this roadside station offers a soothing terrace with magnificent seasonal views and the sight of flying wild birds. Wakasa Town is the largest plum producing area on the Nihon Sea side, so the direct sales store stocks a wide variety of plum processed products, and when plums are in season, the store is filled with a wonderful aroma.

The tourist information center provides information on tourist facilities and accommodation, while the bird watching building offers detailed information on Ramsar Convention-registered wetlands and wild birds. Bicycle rentals are also available, making it a great place to go cycling on sunny days.

● Roadside Station "Mikata Five Lakes" 122-31-1 Torihama, Wakasa-cho, Mikata- Wakasa Town, Fukui Prefecture
http://www.wakasa-mikatagoko.jp/search/entry/michinoeki-mikatagoko.html

Roadside station " Wakasa Kumagawajuku"

Located at the entrance to Kumagawa-juku, where the old townscape remains, Wakasa Kumagawa-juku is a roadside station characterized by its white-walled storehouse-style building that blends into the town's scenery. It is equipped with toilets, a rest area, a restaurant, and more, so it can be used as a break during a drive.

The souvenir shop sells souvenirs related to the Saba Kaido, such as mackerel sushi and grilled mackerel sushi, as well as mackerel heshiko, a traditional winter food of the Wakasa region.

● Roadside station "Wakasa Kumagawajuku" 11-1-1 Kumagawa , Wakasa Town , Fukui Prefecture Prefecture https://kumakawajuku.jp/i

How to get to Wakasa Town

Take the train to Wakasa Town

●From Osaka Station or Kyoto Station

From JR Osaka Station, JR Osaka Station, or JR Kyoto Station, take the limited express "Sandbird" to JR Tsuruga Station. From Tsuruga Station, take the Obama to JR Mikata Station, which takes about 30 minutes.

●From Tokyo Station

From JR Tokyo Station, take the Tokaido Shinkansen to JR Maibara Station, then transfer to the Maibara Main Line to JR Tsuruga Station.

Drive to Wakasa Town

From Kyoto, head towards Shiga via National Highways 1 and 8. Head north on National Highway 303 and arrive at JR Mikata Station via National Highway 27. It takes about two hours to get from JR Kyoto Station to Wakasa Town.

Click here for tourist information on Wakasa Town