Echizen Washi Village
The birthplace of Japanese paper (washi) — Echizen has been producing paper for 1,500 years, longer than any other region. The Papyrus Museum and Paper Village (Udatsu no Kamimachi) have 10 working paper studios where visitors can make their own sheets using 1,500-year-old techniques. Echizen paper is used for official government documents and National Treasure restoration.
2–3 hours
Museum ¥200 (or ¥300 during special exhibitions)
Udatsu no Kogeikan (paper museum): 9:30–17:00 (last entry 16:30), closed Tue; papermaking workshops on-site (advance reservation).
Year-round
Takeji/Fukui Station (JR), then bus to Washi no Sato (approx. 30 min)
Location
Why Visit
- 1
Japan's oldest washi production site — 1,500 continuous years of papermaking, longer than Mino
- 2
Echizen paper is used to restore National Treasures and official Imperial documents
- 3
Paper-making workshops let you create sheets using the same process as 1,500 years ago
Local Tips
Echizen has produced washi for over 1,500 years. The papermaking workshop (from ¥500, 30 min) lets you make your own sheet to take home. The village is compact and walkable. Pair with Eiheiji Temple (15 min by car) for a full cultural day in Fukui.
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