The ryotei restaurant, 'Tabaki', has a history of over a hundred years and is a place that has witnessed the history and culture of Takefu. Tabaki was reborn as an accommodation facility in the winter of 2023. Throughout the Tabaki building, you can see the Japanese architectural style. Would you like to spend some time at Tabaki too?
In the Echizen region, traditional crafts such as Japanese paper (washi), lacquerware, chests of drawers, pottery, and cutlery, with a history of over 1000 years, are deeply rooted. In each production area, there are facilities that offer tours, hands on experiences, and sales.
The Echizen region flourished as a provincial city from around the year 700 AD. There are many temples and shrines where you can learn about its history scattered around the area.
In the Echizen region, there is a rich food culture, which includes soba, Echizen crab, and mizu yokan, a taste unique to this area.
Founded in Echizen Takefu around 1831, this historic soy sauce brewery continues to produce soy sauce and miso with the utmost care.
The Echizen Washi no Sato's Papyrus building is a facility where anyone can experience making washi paper.
Would you like to do zazen at the Soto Zen Buddhism temple, Enichizan Kongoin, located near the Tabaki?
At Takefu Knife Village, visitors can experience Sharpening knives and making knives and key chains by reservation only.
Echizen City has had a knife-making industry for over 700 years. Takefu Knife Village is a joint of 13 companies.
In the Echizen Washi no Sato, there is a cluster of washi related facilities where visitors can observe craftsmen at work and experience washi making.
In the neighborhood of Echizen Washi Village, there is the only shrine in Japan dedicated to the god of paper.
The temple is known a "cat temple" else to go and the monks and cats live together.
Murasaki Shikibu, one of Japan's most famous poets and writers, she lived in Echizen Takefu for a time. The park was created to commemorate her visit to this area.
The building was constructed in 1929 and used as a town hall and public hall.
In Fukui, there is a custom of eating japanese sweets Mizu-yokan, a Japanese confectionery, in winter. You can eat this winter confectionery all year round at Cafe Tabaki.
Echizen City and Takefu have been blessed with abundant pure water since ancient times. This is due to the springs emerging in various places from the Hino River and its tributaries. This land flourished from the Kofun period (300s AD) thanks to its rich water sources.
Until around 1860, a castle stood near the current Echizen City Hall, and the location where Tabaki now stands was within the castle's surrounding moat. Over time, the moat was filled in and leveled, and Tabaki was built in 1892. In the summer, they used to host events where Japanese sweets (like tokoroten and shiratama) cooled with spring water were served on boats floating in the neighboring pond, making it a popular spot since those times.
Later, the pond was also filled in, and the spring water was moved to a pond in the garden of Tabaki. 'Tabaki,' with its beautifully watered garden, has a design that allows all rooms, including various sized private rooms on the first floor and a large hall on the second floor that can accommodate over 100 people, to view the garden. It became known to dining guests as the 'garden with a spiritual spring.'
At the time, there were not many large facilities like Tabaki, which served as a venue for various ceremonies including weddings and funerals. It also held important political meetings, negotiations, and secret talks. It is said that Tabaki played various roles in the history, politics, and culture of Echizen City and Takefu.
Since its establishment, Tabaki was expanded around 1900 and the 1920s, with most of the construction carried out by traditional craftsmen of the time. The passion and dedication to this ryotei can be strongly felt in every detail.
Unfortunately, Tabaki ceased to operate as a ryotei in 2019, but four years later, it was reborn as a new hub in Echizen City and Takefu, now equipped with lodging facilities.
The Tabaki Restoration Project was initiated with the desire to utilize this valuable building, with over a hundred years of history, as an important asset of Japan, for the enjoyment of many people. It was launched by Sakae Kitabata, an architect from Echizen City, and the Kondo family, who are the current managers of 'Tabaki'.
In this renovation, existing elements such as pillars and fittings are being meticulously preserved, while repairs are being made to ensure comfort for both short stay and long-term residents. We hope that visitors will be able to see, touch, and feel the craftsmanship and history of the artisans (carpenters) from the time of the original construction.
We aspire for 'Tabaki' to become a place beloved by everyone. The restoration project will continue to progress gradually with this hope in mind.
