Fukui, Fukui

Fukui
Fukui; 福井
	— Special city —
福井市 · Fukui City
	From top left: Ichijōdani Asakura Family Historic Ruins, Kitanosho Castle, Fukui Castle and Fukui Prefectural Government, Cherry trees along the Asuwa River, Echizen-Kaga Kaigan Quasi-National Park
	; Flag
	; Flag
	Location of Fukui in Fukui Prefecture
	Fukui
	Coordinates: 36°4′N 136°13′E / 36.067°N 136.217°ECoordinates: 36°4′N 136°13′E / 36.067°N 136.217°E
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu
Prefecture	Fukui Prefecture
	Government
• Mayor	Shin'ichi Higashimura
	Area
• Total	536.17 km2 (207 sq mi)
	Population (November 1, 2009)
• Total	267,428
• Density	499/km2 (1,292.4/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City symbols
- Tree	Pine
- Flower	Hydrangea
Phone number	0776-20-5111
Address	3-10-1 Ōte, Fukui-shi, Fukui-ken; 910-8511
Website	City of Fukui

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This article is about the city of Fukui. For the prefecture, see Fukui Prefecture.

Ichijōdani Asakura Family Historic Ruins

Yōkōkan Garden

Fukui (福井市, -shi^?) is the capital of Fukui Prefecture, Japan. The city is located in the north-central part of the prefecture on the coast of the Sea of Japan.

[edit] Demographics

As of November 1, 2009, the city has an estimated population of 267,428 and a density of 499 persons per km². The total area is 536.17 km². Most of the population lives in a small central area; the city limits include rural plains, mountainous areas, and suburban sprawl along the Route 8 by-pass.

[edit] History

The city was incorporated under its present name on April 1, 1889, although it had been an important city in the region for at least 1000 years before that, serving as the capital of Echizen province during the Edo period (1603–1868).

Fukui was devastated by Allied bombing in 1945, and again by a major earthquake in 1948. The city has regained its energy and vitality. Hence, the city's official symbol—the phoenix.

On February 1, 2006, the towns of Miyama and Shimizu and the village of Koshino merged into the city of Fukui.

[edit] Industry

Fukui is home to several companies, including:

Aoyama Harp, the only harp manufacturer in Japan
Matsuura Machinery, an international heavy machinery manufacturing company
Morinaga Hokuriku Dairy, a dairy products subsidiary of Morinaga Milk Industry
Emori Shoji, a trading house with strong ties to China

[edit] Transport

[edit] Rail

Fukui Station is the city's central railway station; it is a major stop on the JR West Hokuriku Main Line. It also serves as the terminus for the JR Etsumi-Hoku Line (Kuzuryū Line), the Fukui Railway Fukubu Line, and the Echizen Railway Mikuni Awara and Katsuyama Eiheiji lines.

The Hokuriku Shinkansen is currently under construction and will ultimately extend from Tokyo via Nagano and Kanazawa when completed.

[edit] Bus

Regular services are primarily provided by Keifuku Bus and Fukui Railway.

[edit] Roads

The Hokuriku Expressway provides access through the city to the north and south; the Fukui and Fukui-Kita interchanges are located within the city limits.

National Route 8, also known as the Fukui Bypass, parallels the Hokuriku Expressway through the city. Other major highways include: