Echizen, Fukui Pref. ¨C Crabs and dinosaurs. For decades, that¡¯s how Fukui Prefecture has tried to sell itself to the rest of Japan and, more recently, the world ¡ª with limited success.
Nicknamed the ¡°Dinosaur Kingdom,¡± this rural region on the Sea of Japan is home to around 80% of the country¡¯s dinosaur fossil discoveries. This becomes obvious as you step out of Fukui Station and are greeted by towering dinosaur models. One of the giant creatures holds a bright orange Echizen crab in its mouth ¡ª a nod to the prized crustaceans from Fukui¡¯s western coastline, another of the prefecture¡¯s icons.
And yet, Fukui still flies under the radar among international tourists ¡ª and even among its neighbors. Kanazawa, the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture to the northeast, has positioned itself as a cultural alternative to Kyoto, while the nearby city of Toyama caught the attention of the New York Times¡¯ influential ¡±52 Places to Go¡± list in 2025.
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