Kawada(河和田)
Kawada is a countryside community in Fukui, Japan. It is abundant with nature and culture. You can experience a variety of Japanese traditional culture and food, which you cannot find in urban areas.
From this winter to next spring, some events are going to be held. Each of them is very Japanesey. You can experience indigenous ritual, feel arts, make traditional cuisine, and so on. The good point of events in rural area is that you can experience them so closely. I think almost all of you have visited Japanese festival or events in urban area. Maybe, most of what you did were just seeing. In rural area, you can join it actually, feel more closely, experience practically.
Moreover, we will offer you the chance to talk with local people in Kawada. How often do you talk with elderly people? They know a lot about Japan having lived in Japanese style for life long. If you like Japan, they will stimulate your interest.
In this webpage, we introduce three of the events in Kawada. Moreover, we prepare special offer for people who participate in our program (see section: Special Offer). If you’re interested, please join us and travel Kawada.
<Upcoming Events>
- •Okonai (おこない): Ritual of indigenous religion, Shinto
Date: January 12, 2020
- •Kyogen (狂言): Traditional comedy theatre
Date: January 25, 2020
- •Yamauni (山うに): cooking traditional condiment
Date: Every day except for Tuesday until April(you need reservation)
See below for more information.
You can find more information about Kawada in this website.
Kawada Yume Green: http://kawada-yumegreen.org/
Special Offer (you can enjoy some events for free)
You can enjoy events we introduced above for free, if you travel Kawada and post on SNS about activities. Moreover, you can have a chance to join in the party with local people and talk with them for free. If you are interested in this program, contact with us(ECOCHECK@eprc.kyoto-u.ac.jp and masa06graham09@icloud.com).
<Required>
- •International Students in Kyoto University and groups including such students.
- •Post on SNS in English and your mother tongue.
- •Travel Kawada until next April.
*This offer is carried out with subsidy from MAFF. This subsidy called “令和元年度農山漁村振興交付金(subsidy for rural development and tourism)” and this is valid until 31st March.
Okonai (おこない): Ritual of indigenous religion, Shinto
Date: January 12, 2020
Place: Shikiyama Shrine, Fukui
Access: From JR Sabae Station, take a 30 mins bus ride to Kawada, and 6 mins on foot.
Shinto (神道), literally means “the way of the gods,” is the indigenous faith of the Japanese people. At Shikiyama shrine in Kawada, they have a unique ritual called “Okonai.” Okonai is a service of exorcism. In Shinto religion, certain ages are believed to be unlucky. Men and women who are in these ages gather in the shrine to get exorcised and purified. Then the men throw mochi (もち, Japanese rice cakes).
from the balcony in the shrine and crowds of people gathered there pick them up to get as many as possible.
You can join this ritual seeing the service up close in the shinden (神殿), the shrine building and picking up mochi among the locals. After Okonai, you can visit and enjoy talking with the locals acquainted with Ecole de Kyodai. They will also kindly cook the mochi you picked for you. It will be a special opportunity to getting to know the Japanese culture deeply
Kyogen (狂言): Traditional comedy theatre
Date: 1:30-3:30 pm, January 25, 2020 (Workshop begins at 2:15 pm.)
Place: Multi-purpose Hall in Urushi no Sato Kaikan
Access: From JR Sabae Station, take a 30 mins bus ride to Urushi no Sato Kaikan.
Kyogen is a type of traditional Japanese comedy theater. “Nushi (塗師, lacquer-paint craftsman)”is a Kyogen play in which Echizen lacquerware comes up and it is on the UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage lists. “Nushi” is performed every year as a revitalization project of Kawada area, which is famous for its lacquerware. After the performance of the play, they will have a workshop about Kyogen. During the workshop, you can try on the special clothing for Kyogen (limited to two people).
It is a rare and great chance to enjoy a Kyogen performance even with the clothing. You will have a wonderful cultural experience, which is a little different from those in Kyoto. Don’t miss it!
Yamauni (山うに): Cooking traditional condiment
Dates: Every day except for Tuesday until April (Reservation required)
Place: Multi-purpose Hall in Urushi no Sato Kaikan
Access: From JR Sabae Station, take a 30 mins bus ride to Urushi no Sato Kaikan.
Fee: \3500 including traditional cuisine for lunch
*Only for groups of 5 or more people.
One of the local cuisines in Kawada is “Yamauni”(山うに). Maybe, almost all of you haven’t heard of it. However, this food is becoming popular recently. This is a condiment made from Chili pepper and Yuzu – ゆず, citrus fruit popular in Japan. Fukui prefecture adopts this food as “Fukui Brand”, and All Nippon Airline uses this condiment in First class in-flight meal. You can enjoy cooking yamauni by booking through “Kawada Yume green”(Kawada Yume Green Facebook).
This time, Kawada Yume Green adds a lunch of traditional meals to this cooking class and makes a good value plan (3500yen, \1000 off than usual). If you have interest in this, contact with Kawada Yume Green and try it!
Reviews
The links below will direct you to some of the reports about international students’ experiences in Kawada including foods, crafts, and ritual.
・ Immerse Yourself to Japanese Tradition
・ Memorable Sabaebal Snow Wonderland
・ 2-DAYS SABAEBAL: A WILD BEAUTY, MAJESTIC, FRIENDLY,…!
Access
From JR Kyoto/Osaka station, take the “Thunderbird”, the express train bound for Kanazawa and get off at the Sabae station. Take the bus at the JR Sabae station and get off at Kawada to start your trip in Kawada community.
Other recommended bus stops are “Urushi no Sato Kaikan”, a museum of Shikki (漆器, lacquerwere)and “La Pause Kawada”, where you can enjoy hot spring.
Click below for details about timetable of bus stop
Bus Timetable
*Please check URL below and receive the latest timetables. (Japanese)
Transportation in Kawada
- •Shared car
- •Rental bicycles
If you want to use these transportation, please contact “Kawada Yume green”.
https://www.facebook.com/kawadayumegreen/
Restaurants and organizations introduced here may tell you information of Kawada. When you travel in Kawada, visit them and communicate.
We hope you visit Kawada and have a great trip!
Recommended accommodation
- •Guest house “Zakuro”
http://bit.ly/2YXJtAM - •Wan de En
http://wan-de-en.com/en/reservation/
http://bit.ly/2S5e91w
(You can book this accommodation through both HP and Airbnb. I recommend you reserve through HP. By doing so, you can communicate with the owners more certainly.) - •La Pause Kawada
http://bit.ly/2M8brEJ
More Activities
You can experience various types of activities in Kawada, such as culture, food, agriculture and so on.
- •“Shikki”(漆器)
“Shikki” is Japanese traditional dishes. In Kawada, you can make your Shikki. If you want to experience making Shikki, contact Nokishita Kobo or Urushi no Sato Kaikan.
･Nokishita Kobo: http://bit.ly/35wwk41
･Urushi no Sato Kaikan: http://echizen.org/workshops/ - •Agriculture
In Kawada, you can experience agriculture, too.
If you are interested in agricultural experience in Kawada, contact NPO “Kawada Yume green”
https://www.facebook.com/kawadayumegreen/ - •Food
Kawada is famous for soba, yamauni and so on. You can enjoy yamauni in “Wan-Wan”. And, you can enjoy soba in “Tetsuya”. Furthermore, you can experience making traditional foods if your schedules match. Please contact “Yumegreen” to reserve cooking.
・Wan-Wan (9:30 ~ 16:30, regular holiday is every Tuesday )
http://bit.ly/2EpL9cZ
・Tetsuya(11:30~14:00, 17:00~21:30, regular holiday is every Wednesday)
http://bit.ly/2Z3rLvF
Or you can ask local NPO through facebook (https://www.facebook.com/kawadayumegreen/)
Contact us
If you are interested in this program, please contact us!
- •Reservation for SNS program
ECOCHECK@eprc.kyoto-u.ac.jp or masa06graham09@icloud.com
- •Support for planning and visiting (Reservation for activities, accommodation, etc.)
Kawada Yume Green’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kawadayumegreen/
*This project is supported by MAFF and organized by Kawada Yume Green, a local NPO, Ecole de Kyodai, and the Asari Laboratory in Kyoto University Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies.
