Fukui] Kumagawa-juku, the road that brought the bounty of the Wakasa Sea to Kyoto

  • Fukui
  • Sightseeing

What is Kumagawa-juku?

Kumagawa-juku, located in the town of Wakasa in Fukui Prefecture, is a post town that developed as a trading center between Wakasa and Kyoto. Wakasa was a miketsukuni (land of food) that delivered the bounty of the mountains and sea to Kyoto, and also prospered through trade with the continent from ancient times. Even today, the remains of a magistrate's office, guard house, and storehouse still remain, and traditional irrigation canals run along the streets full of emotion.

What is Saba Kaido?

In recent years, the waters of Wakasa have been producing large numbers of mackerel, and since the mid-Showa period, the route used to transport the fish to Kyoto has been known as the "saba kaido" (mackerel road). Among the many saba kaido routes, the most actively used was the Wakasa kaido, which ran from Obama via Kumagawa, through Kutsuki in Shiga Prefecture to Demachi Yanagi in Kyoto, and Kumagawa-juku was an important stop along the way. Kumagawa-juku is said to have been used by many travelers to rest their bodies. (*"Saba" officially means "mackerel" in Japanese, and "sei" means "green" in Japanese.)
Kumagawa-juku's specialty, Saba Sushi
Photo courtesy of Kumagawa-juku Marushin
Kumagawa-juku's specialty, Grilled Saba Sushi
Photo courtesy of Kumagawa-juku Marushin

Learn about the history of the Saba Kaido Road and go for a stroll! Wakasa Saba-kaido Kumagawa-juku Museum Shukubakan

Walking around Kumagawa-juku, you will see retro and modern Western-style buildings. This building was originally used as the Kumagawa Village Office and is now used as the "Wakasa Saba Kaido Kumagawa-juku Museum Shukubakan. It might be interesting to first learn about the history of the Saba Kaido and Kumagawa-juku and then take a walk around the area.
Wakasa Saba-kaido Kumagawa-juku Museum Shukubakan Exterior

A 100-year-old warehouse! Renovated from an old private house and turned into a stylish café!

In recent years, people attracted by the scenery and lifestyle of Kumagawa-juku have opened cafes and inns in renovated old private houses, attracting attention as tourist spots. In this issue, we will introduce two cafes that we visited!

SOL'S COFFE LABORATORY

This 130-year-old storehouse was renovated as a home-brewing coffee shop that proposes a lifestyle with coffee, based on the concept of "drinking coffee every day and still being healthy. You can enjoy coffee in a relaxing storehouse-style space. Inside the store, you will find coffee beans and other original products.
There is also a store in Tokyo, so you can enjoy delicious coffee in Tokyo as well.
Exterior (left) and interior (right)
Click here for the SOL'S COFFE LABORATORY website!

irodori Labo.

This 100-year-old warehouse-style cafe is located in Kumagawa-juku. This is a shared café, so different stores open a café or hold events depending on the day. The day we visited was the day "irodori Labo." was open.
Exterior view

Take a break with an original drink!

In addition to the standard coffee, café au lait, and tea menu, they also offer local drinks such as Fuku-ime cider, Fuku-isumo cider, and Wakasa honey milk tea.
Fukusu Momo Cider
The renovated store, gently lit by lamps, is a perfect place to take a break during a stroll and enjoy a relaxing moment.
The store has a nice atmosphere.
Sundry goods are also available for sale.
You can check in advance which stores will be open that day on the irodori Labo. Instagram account. (There are also days when none of the stores are open, so be sure to check in advance!)
Click here for the "irodori Labo." Instagram account!
Click here for the website of "Wakasa Saba Kaido Kumagawa-juku"!
Tags related to this article
Previous post Back to list Next
related articles