Fukui and its spa traditions

For true connoisseurs of the textile industry and industrial design, the North Coast offers a sophisticated itinerary. Setting off from Tokyo and after a stop to admire the avant-garde architecture of Kanazawa, a high-speed train takes you to Fukui in just forty-five minutes. This prefecture is not only the world capital of high-end eyewear, where the world’s most sophisticated frames are crafted, but also the heartland of traditional washi paper production – a type of paper introduced to Japan in 610 by a Korean Buddhist monk. From here, a combined journey of around three hours by bus and train takes you to discover Kinosaki Onsen. This famous spa village invites you to slow down and enjoy an authentic experience, strolling along the canals wearing a traditional yukata and the typical wooden geta clogs (a cross between clogs and flip-flops), before setting off again for the bustling city of Osaka, which can be reached in about two and a half hours by train.