Ichijodani Asakura Family Historic Ruins

The Karakado Gate, which is said to be the symbol of the Ichijodani Asakura Clan Ruins, is known as a mountain gate donated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the ruler of Japan, to mourn Asakura Yoshikage, the last lord of the Asakura clan. It is known that this gate was used as the entrance to the Asakura residence and is a magnificent building with a solemn atmosphere. The gate that remains today was rebuilt in the middle of the Edo period and bears the crests of both the Asakura and Toyotomi families. Don't forget to take a commemorative photo!

Next to the Karakado entrance of Asakura-kan Ruins, the main spot of Ichijodani Asakura Clan Ruins is the restored historical townscape. The Asakura clan actively incorporated Kyoto culture and planned urban development, with streets and other areas being well-maintained. The restored townscape partially recreates this, conveying the prosperity of the Asakura clan to modern times. By identifying specific information from materials that recorded the lives of people at the time, they have successfully restored wells and toilets in exactly the same locations as they were then. Samurai residences have also been reproduced, allowing you to glimpse the lives of the Asakura family's warriors at the time.

As previously mentioned, the Asakura family actively incorporated Kyoto culture, and there is no other place where you can see the traces of this as clearly as at the Asakura Residence Ruins and Yudono Ruins Garden. The Asakura Residence Ruins is where Asakura Yoshikage, the last head of the Asakura family, is said to have lived. The spacious residence includes a tea room, indicating that they had already incorporated the culture of tea ceremony early on. The stonework in the garden is also very beautiful, and it can be seen that the highest technology of the time was imported from Kyoto to create it. In addition, the Yudono Ruins Garden, located on a hill, is considered the oldest garden among the Asakura clan ruins, and you can see stonework with a different kind of power than that of the Asakura Residence Ruins garden.

Near the Ichijodani Asakura Clan Ruins, there is the newly renovated Ichijodani Asakura Clan Ruins Museum, which opened in October 2022. Inside the museum, there are over 1.7 million valuable artifacts unearthed from many years of excavation, as well as a huge diorama that reproduces the appearance of Ichijodani during its heyday. There is also a cafe called "CARA MON," where you can take a break after exploring the ruins. Be sure to visit the museum along with the ruins.

For fans of the Warring States period who find the Ichijodani Asakura Family Historic Ruins alone to be insufficient, we recommend visiting the Mitsuji Shrine, located about a 15-minute drive from the Ichijodani Asakura Family Historic Ruins. This shrine is built on the site where Mitsuhide Akechi, famous for killing Oda Nobunaga in the Honno-ji Incident, lived with the Asakura family in Echizen Province. When Katsuie Shibata tried to send troops to the area where the Mitsuji Shrine is located to suppress the Ikko-ikki uprising, Mitsuhide Akechi persuaded him to avoid military action, and this episode has been passed down as a legend. As a result, the local residents have revered Mitsuhide Akechi and have preserved the Mitsuji Shrine to this day. On June 13, the anniversary of Mitsuhide Akechi's death, you can see the wooden statue of Mitsuhide Akechi, the main deity of the shrine.