Ono

For other places with the same name, see Ono (disambiguation).

Ōno (大野市 Ōno-shi), also called Echizen Ōno (越前大野, capped with old province name), is a historic castle town in Fukui prefecture, Japan, known as the 'little Kyoto' of Echizen province. About one fifth of Fukui Prefecture lies within its borders.

Understand

Tourist information site

The local tourist association has a multilingual guide site.

Get in

With the exception of buses to Katsuyama, the only way in by public transport is through Fukui. As such, the nearest airport is Komatsu, though Nagoya-Centrair and Osaka-Kansai may be better options, especially for international travelers.

By train

There are nine local trains per day on the Etsumi-Hoku Line (also known as the Kuzuryū Line) from Fukui to Echizen-Ōno, 1 hr ¥670. Trains are covered by the JR Pass, the Hokuriku Arch Pass, the Hokuriku Area Pass, and the Kansai-Hokuriku Area Pass.

By bus

Keifuku Bus runs 17 buses a day from Fukui (Stop 5 at the station) to Ōno, 1 hr ¥990. They also run 9 buses a day (5 on weekends) to Katsuyama, 30 min ¥580.

See

• 1 Ono Castle (大野城), 3-109 Shiromachi (25 min walk west from Echizen-Ōno Station, or 17 minutes walk west from Ōno-Rokken Bus Stop). Apr-Sep: 06:00-17:00, Oct-Nov: 06:00-16:00, last admission 30 minutes before closing. Closed December-March. A 'Castle in the Sky'. A castle was built here by Kanamori Nagachika in around 1580, but the current structure dates from 1968. Adults ¥200. (updated Jun 2018)
• 2 Hōkyōji (宝慶寺), 1-2 Hōkyōji (20 min drive from Echizen-Ōno Station on Prefectural Rte 34), ☏ +81 779-65-8833. Founded by the 13th-century Chinese Zen monk Jiyuan (better known as Jakuen) after he left Eiheiji, this beautiful Sōtō Zen temple in the hills on the outskirts of the town displays an original self-portrait of Zen Master Dogen. (updated Jun 2018)
• 3 Tera-machi Street (寺町通り), Nishikichō. A street with many historic temples. (updated Aug 2020)

Do

• Learn Zazen, ☏ +81 779-660-325. Learn zazen (Buddhist meditation) with Sasagawa Roshi at his temple in the foot hills around Ono. Some spoken Japanese needed. (updated Aug 2020)

Buy

• 1 Shichiken Asa-ichi (七間朝市), ☏ +81 779-69-9520. Mar-Dec 07:00-11:00 daily. Fresh local vegetables are sold at this street market, whose history stretches back over 400 years. 

Go next

Ono offers many options for outdoor lovers. There are several ski areas within a 45-min drive of the city. In summer the Kuzuryu River and Manahime Lake are beautiful spots for kayaking or camping. By public transport, the only places to go from Ono are Fukui by train and Katsuyama by bus.

• Gujo
• Sabae
• Eiheiji
• Ikeda
• Hakusan
• Echizen City
• Minamiechizen

Routes through Ono

Fukui ← Eiheiji ←	W  E	→ Gujyo → Takayama
Kanazawa ← Nonoichi ← Katsuyama ←	N  S	→ Motosu → Gifu
END ←	N  S	→ Motosu → Seki