Ono
- For other places with the same name, see Ono (disambiguation).
Ōno (大野), also called Echizen Ōno, is a historic castle town in Fukui prefecture, Japan, known as the 'little Kyoto' of Echizen. About one fifth of Fukui Prefecture lies within its borders.
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 travellers.
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, taking about an hour and costing ¥670. Trains are covered by the Japan Rail 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, taking about an hour and costing ¥990. They also run 9 buses a day (5 on weekends) to Katsuyama, taking about 30 minutes and costing ¥580.
Get around
See
- 1 Ōno Castle (大野城), 3-109 Shiromachi (25 minutes 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.
- 2 [dead link] Hōkyōji (宝慶寺), 1-2 Hōkyōji (20 minutes drive from Echizen-Ōno Station, along Prefectural Route 34). 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.
- Tera-Machi - a street of historic temples.
Do
- Learn zazen (Buddhist meditation) - many Westerners have studied with Sasagawa Roshi at his temple in the foot hills around Ono. Tel: +81 779 660-325 (some spoken Japanese would be helpful).
Buy
- Shichiken Asa-ichi (七間朝市). Fresh local vegetables are sold at this street market, whose history stretches back over 400 years. Held between 07:00 and 11:00 through most of the year (between Vernal Equinox Day in March and New Year's Eve).
Eat
Drink
Sleep
Go next
Ono offers many options for outdoor lovers. There are several ski areas within a 45-min drive of the city, and 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 is Fukui by train or Katsuyama by bus.
| Routes through Ono |
| Fukui ← Eiheiji ← | W  E |
→ Gujyo → Takayama |
| Kanazawa ← Nonoichi ← Katsuyama ← | N  S |
→ Motosu → Gifu |
| END ← | N  S |
→ Motosu → Seki |