🌊Kitamae-Senshu street⚓ Kitamae-Senshu street is a historic street centered on the Ukon-ke and Nakamura-ke, merchants who built great wealth as coastal trading shipowners. Eleven cities and towns connected to the Kitamae ships have been certified as a Japan Heritage site.👏 Cultural properties in Kono, Minami-Echizen Town that form the Japan Heritage story 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, exhibits recreate merchant life and display materials introducing the historic trade routes, creating a must-see space for history lovers. The European-style mansion of the old Ukon-ke, built on a hill behind the main house as the Ukon-ke’s villa, is registered as a Tangible Cultural Property of Japan. You can see modern design touches throughout the building. The Kitamae Senshu, Nakamura-ke is a large shipowner residence notable for its distinctive layout and three-story tatami reception rooms. Each building shows unique craftsmanship and different architectural styles to explore. Enjoy the distinctive landscape shaped by the climate, lifestyle, and livelihoods of the Kono area in Minami-Echizen Town. Feel the romantic history of the Kitamae shipowners who lived boldly on the vast Sea of Japan. Address: 2-15 Kono, Minami-Echizen 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 the Kansai and Chukyo Region) ・About 20 minutes from Nanjo Smart Interchange, Hokuriku Expressway via Route 305 ・About 40 minutes from Tsuruga Interchange, Hokuriku Expressway: head north on Route 8, then take the Echizen Kono Shiokaze Line and Route 305 (From Ishikawa and Fukui) ・About 20 minutes from Nanjo Smart Interchange, Hokuriku Expressway via Route 305 ・About 30 minutes from Takefu Interchange, Hokuriku Expressway: head south on Route 8 and take Route 305 from Sakurabashi Intersection By train Take the Fukutetsu bus on the Ojibo–Kono line for about 40 minutes from Happy Line Takefu Station or Takefu Station, Echizen Railway, or take a taxi for about 30 minutes.