Fukui

Ono Castle Town East Square

Open-air Tea Ceremony Hall built for the Emperor

Takako Sakamoto Nov 10, 2014 - 1 min read

Entrance of 'Open-Air Tea Ceremony Hall'

Wide entrance of Ono Castle Town East Square building

Front view of 'Open-Air Tea Ceremony Hall'

According to the sign, this 'Open-Air Tea Ceremony Hall' was built to welcome Japan's Emperor and Empress when they attended the 60th National Tree-planting Ceremony which was held in 2009 in Ichijo-dani valley in Fukui. Later the hall was moved to this location.

Inside the hall, the colorful Mikoshi (portable shrines) are displayed. Each color signifies a season; blue is summer and white is winter.

Photos of Emperor and Empress decorating the wall (they were taken at the National Tree-planting Ceremony held in Ichijo-dani valley in 2009)

Another set of beautiful Mikoshi (portable shrines). Orange signifies autumn (of course!) and pink is spring.

This is the genuine desk that Emperor and Empress used at the National Tree-planting Ceremony held in Fukui!

There is a tourist information center inside the Ono Castle Town East Square building

The 'Community Space' room in which various events are held

Expansive parking lot of Ono Castle Town East Square

Japanese garden beside the 'Open-Air Tea Ceremony Hall'

Side view of 'Open-Air Tea Ceremony Hall' and its Japanese garden

Tsukubai (small water basin) inside the Japanese garden

Beautiful wooden walls of the Ono Castle Town East Square. This street leads to Ono Castle.

The other day I visited Ono Castle in Fukui prefecture for the first time since I moved to Fukui four years ago. The castle is located in Ono city, which is about an hour's drive from the center of Fukui city. My main purpose of this visit was to see only the castle. However, I had to rearrange my itinerary for the day when I arrived at a parking lot and saw Ono Castle Town East Square, which is the eastern entrance to the town. It seemed that there would be lots and lots to see in this old castle town!

Ono Castle

Takako Sakamoto @takako.sakamoto

I was born in and grew up in Tokushima prefecture, and have lived in many places since then: Nishinomiya, Kyoto, Nara, Mie, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Fukuoka and Fukui. I am currently living in Yokohama City. All the places I lived, all the places I visited, I have loved dearly. The histor...