Kitamae-Senshu street🌊⚓
Kitamae-Senshu street is a historic street centered on the Ukon family and Nakamura-ke, who made great fortunes as coastal shipping merchants.
Eleven cities and towns connected to the Kitamae ships have been designated as a Japan Heritage site.
Cultural properties that form the Japan Heritage story in Kono, Minamiechizen Town include Kitamae Senshu-no Yakata, Ukon-ke; the European-style mansion of the old Ukon-ke; and The Kitamae Senshu, Nakamura-ke.

Each residence is open to the public.
Inside Kitamae Senshu-no Yakata, Ukon-ke you can see exhibits recreating merchant life and materials explaining the trade routes of the time—a must for history lovers.
The European-style mansion of the old Ukon-ke, built on the hill behind the main house as the Ukon family villa, is registered as a Tangible Cultural Property of Japan. You can spot modern touches throughout the building.
The Kitamae Senshu, Nakamura-ke is a large Kitamae shipowner’s residence notable for its distinctive layout and a three-story tatami reception room.
Each building shows careful craftsmanship and a different architectural style to explore.

Enjoy the unique scenery shaped by the climate, lifestyles, and livelihoods of the Kono district in Minamiechizen Town.
You can feel the romance of the history of Kitamae shipowners who lived boldly on the vast Sea of Japan.

Address: 2-15 Kono, Minamiechizen Town, Nanjo District, Fukui Prefecture
TEL: 0778-48-2196
Opening hours: 9:00–16:00
Closed: Wednesdays and December 29–January 3
Access
By car
(From Kansai and Chukyo areas)
• About 20 minutes via Japan National Route 305 from Hokuriku Expressway Nanjo Smart I.C.
• About 40 minutes via National Route 8 north from Hokuriku Expressway Tsuruga I.C., then Echizen Kono Shiokaze Line and National Route 305.

(From Ishikawa and Fukui areas)
• About 20 minutes via Japan National Route 305 from Hokuriku Expressway Nanjo Smart I.C.
• About 30 minutes via National Route 8 south from Hokuriku Expressway Takefu I.C., then Sakurabashi Intersection onto National Route 305.

By train
From Hapi-Line Takefu Station or Echizen Railway Takefu Station take the Fukutetsu Bus Ojiho-Kono Line for about 40 minutes, or use a taxi for about 30 minutes.