Wakasa Bay若狭湾

A deeply indented coastline with clear seawater. A former strategic point of trade with the entire continent.

Wakasa Bay is located in the northwestern part of Fukui, facing the Sea of Japan and lying between Cape Echizen to the east and Cape Kyo-ga-misaki to the west. It has a beautiful, typical saw-toothed coastline with seawater that has a high clarity, providing a great view of what lies beneath. The area from Kehi-no-Matsubara in Fukui to the Tango-hanto Peninsula is designated a quasi-national park.

Mikata-go-ko, or the five lakes of Mikata, are located on the east shore of Wakasa Bay. The lakes are registered under the Ramsar Convention, which is designed to protect internationally-important wetlands. Each of these five lakes has a different water quality and depth, and they display five various colors. Their colors change in each season, and they are therefore called "the lakes of five colors." The five lakes are connected by a waterway, and a sightseeing boat is available. You can also enjoy the great scenery of Wakasa Bay and Sekumi Port from the Mt. Baijo-dake observation point.

Mihama-cho, located on the west side of Wakasa Bay, has a beach area called Suisho-hama that is blessed with pure white sands and luscious green pine trees. This beach is known for its "Nakisuna" (singing sands) because of the sound it makes when you step on the sandy beach. Obama, facing onto Obama Bay, was the place to welcome the culture of other lands, and from the old days it was an important trading spot not only domestically, but also with Korea and China. A number of historic sites still remain in Obama, which once prospered as a town of trade, such as the rows of old structures in Sancho-machi, Meitsu-ji Temple whose main hall and three-storied tower are designated as national treasures, and Mantoku-ji Temple with its beautiful 'karesansui' garden (dry landscape garden).