Echizen Mangetsu

Since the completion of the Hokuriku Shinkansen, Fukui Prefecture has become even more accessible from Tokyo. Echizen Mangetsu is a kappo ryokan (restaurant-inn), which, like French auberges, prize themselves on the quality of their cuisine. It is located about a 30-minute drive northeast of JR Fukui Station and is also just a 10-minute walk from the Sea of Japan coast.
  The inn welcomes guests with just nine rooms spread across its vast premises. Guests can enjoy their stay while immersing themselves in the atmosphere of traditional Japan, with a classic gable-roofed structure, Japanese-style guest rooms with tatami flooring, and a well-maintained garden.

Echizen Mangetsu feels like a hideaway inn, with trees surrounding the premises to conceal it from the road. The inn was established to provide guests with a place to relax and enjoy Fukui Prefecture’s famously delicious food and celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2024. Currently, the inn is run by two young sisters.

Situated close to the Sea of Japan, the inn offers a variety of beautifully presented dishes that fully bring out the flavors of seasonal ingredients. These are centered on seafood landed at the nearby fishing port throughout the year and vegetables from the local mountains and countryside.

In particular, from November 6 to March 20, the inn’s cuisine focuses on crab. This is the season for Echizen crab fishing. Fresh crab is delivered daily from the nearby port, so many guests choose to stay during this period. We highly recommend that visitors from overseas try Echizen crab at Echizen Mangetsu, a famous winter delicacy from the Sea of Japan.

Echizen crab refers to snow crab landed at ports in Fukui Prefecture. To conserve crab stocks, Fukui Prefecture only allows crab fishing between November 6 and March 20. The fishing season for female snow crab is shorter, ending on December 31 each year. Echizen Mangetsu serves crab between November 7 and the end of March.

Echizen Mangetsu is a great choice for those looking for a stay with hot spring baths, delicious food, and a truly Japanese feel, or for those planning to tour Fukui Prefecture. Fukui Prefecture still sees very few overseas visitors, so a stay at Echizen Mangetsu is sure to be a unique experience you’ll want to tell your friends about.

Echizen Mangetsu is about 30 minutes by car from JR Fukui Station. The most convenient way to get to the inn is by taking the shuttle bus that departs from the East Exit of JR Fukui Station at 3:00 p.m. The shuttle bus has a capacity of nine people, so please reserve at least three days in advance. Please note that there is a fee of 5,000 yen per group for the shuttle bus.