Fukui Station Area Preview
Japan’s Fukui City is ready for the Hokuriku Shinkansen.
Cover photo: Commercial complex Curu-F at Fukui Station, Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture, Japan (2024). Photo by Danny With Love.
Intro
Thursday, March 14th — just days before the grand opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen (bullet train) extension into Fukui Prefecture, new facilities at and around Fukui Station hosted a special preview event. This was the busiest I have ever seen the area! There are many shops that will please both locals and tourists. As a Fukui resident, I’m so excited to enjoy these new places for myself and for travelers to discover them too. More photos and details below.
Curu-F (くるふ福井駅)
Curu-F is a commercial complex directly connected to Fukui Station, replacing Prism Fukui which closed in May of last year. The word “Curu” (来る) means “to come” and “F” refers to Fukui, as well as Fun, Friends, and Family.
Curu-F is nearly 40% larger than Prism, with about 40 stores and restaurants, offering local foods, classic Japanese dishes, and international cuisine. There is a large variety of seafood options, but “Echizen gani” — snow crab — will likely be most popular. I’m especially happy to see Hachiban (No. 8) Ramen, as well as imported foods store Jupiter.
There’s no shortage of sweets, such as local favorite Eiheiji Daruma Pudding, hailing from the town of the eponymous 13th century temple. There is also Starbucks, selling My Fruits Frappuccino. Only some 20 stores nationwide offer this rare service!
Fukumachi Block (Minie, Ulo, and Central Sports)
The new development Fukumachi Block is located just across the street from the station. This massive complex includes the food hall Minie, event & concert space Ulo, athletics club Central Sports, and Hotel by Marriott Fukui.
The food hall features about 30 shops, including craft brewery Our Brewing and Sava! Store, selling local goods such as Echizen lacquerware. As a city resident, I’m especially excited for Central Sports, which has a gym, 25-meter (82-feet) pool, spa, sauna, and fitness class space.
Ulo is a hybrid restaurant and stage facility equipped with both a DJ booth and a Steinway piano. It can accommodate up to 200 people. I’m looking forward to enjoying a show here! The space features a 13-meter-high (43 feet) atrium and shakudani stone accents, mined from nearby Asuwa Mountain.
Boasting two restaurants, Courtyard By Marriott Fukui will open the following day, March 15th. It is the first foreign-owned hotel in Fukui as well as the tallest building in the prefecture.
Fukui Station (福井駅)
Home to 80% of Japan’s discovered fossils, Fukui Prefecture is known as the Dinosaur Kingdom. Dinosaur Square was established in 2015, just outside the station. Now, there are plans for the surrounding area to include a total 18 dinosaurs. It looks like a theme park!
One of the new dinosaurs is a LEGO Fukui raptor — a species discovered in the prefecture — built by Jumpei Mitsui (三井 淳平), Japan’s only LEGO Certified Professional. The pieces were donated by Fukui residents. There is also a sakura tree installation, with 8,000 hand-made cherry blossoms crafted from Echizen washi (paper). It will be on display until April 8th.
Inside ticket gates, travelers will find a new soba (buckwheat noodle) restaurant serving local specialties “Echizen oroshi soba” and “sauce katsudon” — fried pork cutlets on rice, glazed with light Worcestershire. The station has a new visitor information center too!
Author’s Note
As part of the Fukui Reporter program, I am tasked with participating in local events and publicly promoting the prefecture. This is a volunteer position that allows me free entrance to a selection of museums throughout the area. The opinions I share are my own.
