Echizen, Fukui 3.57

Echizen is a city located in Fukui Prefecture, Japan.As of May 1, 2017, the city has an estimated population of 82,952 and a population density of 360 persons per km². The total area is 230.75 km².The modern city of Echizen was established on October 1, 2005, from the merger of the city of Takefu, and the town of Imadate (from Imadate District); although the Echizen Basin has been an important regional center for over 1,500 years. It has many former castle sites and prehistoric archeological sites. Echizen is known for its shrines and temples - well over 300. For a year it was the home of Murasaki Shikibu, author of The Tale of Genji. Her father was governor of Echizen Province in the Heian period.HistoryYamato periodDuring the Yamato period, the area from Tsuruga to Niigata was a kingdom called Koshi. In 507, during a succession crisis, a ruler from the Ajimano area of Echizen ascended the chrysanthemum throne to become the 26th emperor of Japan, Keitai, founding a new imperial dynasty. At that time, the Echizen basin began to develop economically and culturally.