"That Murasaki Shikibu and
An unexpected relationship in Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture!
Part 1
-Murasaki Shikibu's connection to the entrance-

Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture "Murasaki Yukari no Yakata" homepage URL

A Murasaki Shikibu doll welcomes you at the entrance of the exhibition room, and you can imagine a meeting between a man and a woman in the Heian period.

As a planner who sublimates the unique history and culture of a region into museums and exhibition facilities, this time I was in charge of the "Murasaki Yukari no Yakata" in Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture. We aimed to create a facility where many people could experience the living world of "Murasaki Shikibu," which is loved by locals.

Murasaki Shikibu Park is located in Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture, surrounded by the mountains of the Takefu Basin.
The only one in JapanImmerse yourself in the world of the Heian period in the first authentic Shinden-zukuri garden!

Echizen City is an inland city located in the Takefu Basin in the central part of Fukui Prefecture, facing Mt. Hino to the south and surrounded by mountains on three sides. When I visited Murasaki Shikibu Park, a Shinden-zukuri style park, I was immersed in the atmosphere of the Heian period as I gazed at the buildings and bridges reflected on the surface of the pond, and the golden Murasaki Shikibu statue.

Murasaki Shikibu Park was built in 1983 as a historical and cultural park to commemorate Murasaki Shikibu's visit to this area. Known as the only shinden-zukuri garden in Japan that reproduces a garden from the Heian period, it has been loved by citizens along with the rest area, Fujinami-tei. After that, an event called “Shikibu and Fuji Matsuri” was held on May 3rd every year to remind citizens of Murasaki Shikibu, and many citizens came to enjoy the culture of the Heian dynasty.

View of Tsuridono and Soribashi from the bank of the pond.

Towards the opening of "Echizen Takefu Station"
Promoting the connection to Murasaki Shikibu to tourists visiting on the Hokuriku Shinkansen

The reason why I visited "Murasaki Shikibu Park" was the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Tsuruga Station. "Echizen Takefu Station" is scheduled to open in the spring of 2024, and Echizen City is aiming to improve its name recognition and appeal as a tourist destination, and is working on "town development of the history and culture of Echizen Kokufu". It is being worked on. As part of this policy, it was decided to renovate the resting place "Fujinami-tei" in Murasaki Shikibu Park as a facility that appeals the history of Echizen City, where the national government was located, and the relationship between Murasaki Shikibu and Echizen City. The purpose of the renovation is to increase the number of visitors by making the rest area and Murasaki Shikibu Park a base for excursion tours that can be enjoyed together. Our relationship with Echizen City began when we were entrusted with the design and construction of the renewal of the building and exhibition of this "Fujinami-tei".

For those who don't know "Echizen Kokufu", I will explain it here. "Kokufu" refers to the city where the facility (national office) where the provincial governor of the ritsuryo-koku took charge of government affairs from the Nara period to the Heian period, and it was the political center city in each country. Kokufu across the country were divided into four stages: large, upper, middle, and lower.

Image of the Echizen Kokufu National Government Office (transcribed from the "Murasaki Yukari no Yakata" panel)

A tourist facility that communicates the history of Echizen Kokufu and its relationship with Murasaki Shikibu
Perspectives and methods of “Murasaki Yukari no Yakata”

By transmitting two themes from Echizen City,
We were asked to create a tourist facility that would lead to the promotion of attracting tourists.

Theme 1: Disseminating the history of Echizen City, where the Echizen provincial government was established
Theme 2: Communicate the relationship between Murasaki Shikibu and Echizen City

I am the "viewpoint" of transmitting theme 1. Theme 2 was proposed as a “method” of dissemination.

Theme 1 [Perspective]:
Echizen Kokufu is an important cultural heritage that conveys the history of Echizen, but it is not known to the general public, and the location of the national government office has not been decided, so the issue was that there were few subjects to disseminate. Therefore, I thought that by ``conveying the impressions and surprises that young Murasaki Shikibu encountered in Echizen Kokufu from her perspective,'' the splendor of the history of Echizen City, where Echizen Kokufu was located, would be conveyed.

Theme 2 [Method]:
You can enjoy outdoor parks, but there are not enough indoor "spaces" where you can experience the world of The Tale of Genji. It was a challenge to materialize such things as the story of the excursion. Therefore,

Space: A gorgeous and elegant space where you can experience “the story of Genji”
Exhibition story: A story that conveys the connection between “Murasaki Shikibu and Echizen”
Excursion story: A story about the Tannan area from the hall, park, and city center, related to "love"

I decided to send out the relationship between Murasaki Shikibu and Echizen City with three connections.
Next, we will introduce the contents of the facility in the order of space / exhibition story / excursion story.

Bird's-eye perspective: Attracting visitors with an elegant and gorgeous space and stories of exhibitions and excursions

Experience the connection with “The Tale of Genji”
The elegant and gorgeous space of “Murasaki Yukari no Yakata”Making

In order for everyone to enjoy the beautiful and gorgeous space of the Heian period, The Tale of Genji, there are five zones (❶ Garden of Encounter → ❷ Beginning Edge → ❸ Murasaki Shikibu Room → ❹ Event Room → ❺ Shirube Room ) renewed the rest area.

From Murasaki Yukari no Yakata leaflet "Zone diagram"

❶ Garden of Encounters ~ Enjoy the changing seasons with the four-season flower bed in Murasaki Shikibu Park ~

“❶Encounter Garden” is the front garden that welcomes visitors. We planted seasonal plants related to the Tale of Genji. Together with the four-season flower bed in the adjacent Murasaki Shikibu Park, you can feel the change of the seasons. In addition, weeping cherry trees were planted in the center of the garden. The hall name signboard at the entrance is designed in the image of the robes worn by the wives who served in the Imperial Court.

"❶Encounter Garden" The weeping cherry tree and the hall name sign invite visitors

``❷The Edge of the Beginning'' ~ In front of famous scenes related to the Tale of Genji ~

“❷ Hajimari no En” is a space that resembles a “wet edge” inspired by the Heian period shinden-zukuri style, and is a place that gently connects the outside and the inside. It can also be used as a place for experiences and events, such as taking breaks, exhibiting works, and taking commemorative photos in front of famous scenes related to The Tale of Genji. This is also the main passage that guides visitors to each room.

“❸Murasaki Shikibu no Ma” ~Thinking about the life of young Murasaki Shikibu~

"❸Murasaki Shikibu no Ma" is the main exhibition room that introduces the connection between Murasaki Shikibu and Echizen City.
At the entrance, a life-size Murasaki Shikibu doll reproduced with Echizen washi paper, a traditional craft, greets you through the blinds, and you can feel that the young Murasaki Shikibu lived here. Details of the space and exhibits will be introduced in the next paragraph.

The entrance to ❸ Murasaki Shikibu no Ma. A Murasaki Shikibu doll welcomes you through the bamboo blinds

“❹Event Room” ~ With paintings related to Murasaki Shikibu and the Tale of Genji ~

“❹ Event Room” is a space where various special exhibitions are held several times a year, such as paintings related to Murasaki Shikibu and The Tale of Genji, and historical materials of Echizen Kokufu.

"❹ Event room" This is a photo before the paintings and historical materials were exhibited.

“❺Shirube no Ma” ~Enjoy the traditional techniques of traditional crafts from Echizen City and Tanna area~

“❺Shirube no Ma” is a space where traditional crafts representing Echizen City and the surrounding Tannan area are exhibited. You can appreciate the traditional techniques that have been handed down from the Nara period when the Echizen provincial government was established. In addition, videos and panels introduce information on nearby tourist facilities where you can experience traditional craftsmanship, and traditional crafts and playful goods with motifs of the Tale of Genji are sold in the product sales space.

"❺Shirube no Ma" This is a photo before the traditional crafts and goods were displayed.

Conveying the connection between Murasaki Shikibu and Echizen.
Exhibition story of “Murasaki Yukari no Yakata”

❸ Room of Murasaki Shikibu

This is the main exhibition room that introduces the relationship between Murasaki Shikibu and Echizen.
What was life like for Murasaki Shikibu, who spent more than a year in Echizen following her father, Fujiwara no Tametoki's assignment to the Echizen provincial government? Murasaki Shikibu spent four seasons in the northern country, and among them, the harshness of winter and the majestic Mt. Hakusan left a strong impression on Murasaki Shikibu. Life in Echizen may have been the opportunity to come into contact with the lifestyles of people not found in the capital, and to experience many of the best things, such as crafts such as Echizen washi paper and food culture. It is said that these various experiences were the driving force behind the growth of Murasaki Shikibu and the creation of the masterpiece "The Tale of Genji." *1

Focusing on the days Murasaki Shikibu spent in Echizen, I came up with an exhibition story that follows in chronological order so that you can feel the emotions and surprises of Echizen from the same perspective as Murasaki Shikibu.
【❶.Travel to Echizen → ❷.Days in Echizen→ ❸.After returning to Tokyo】
You can sympathize with the splendor of Echizen's history and culture by reliving the impressions and experiences of Murasaki Shikibu in gorgeous three-dimensional productions such as kicho-style graphics, picture scroll-style images projected on the walls and floor, and Japanese paper dolls. increase.

*1 “The Tale of Genji Murasaki Shikibu and Takefu Echizen,” written by Professor Shoji Fukushima (Professor Emeritus, Sonoda Gakuen Women’s University), who supervised “Murasaki Yukari no Yakata,” was published at the Murasaki Shikibu Honoring Society (Echizen City). The connection between Murasaki Shikibu and Echizen is described in detail.

"❸ Murasaki Shikibu no Ma" picture scroll-style video, book-style graphics, Japanese paper dolls

“❶ Journey to Echizen” ~ 5-day journey from Kyoto to Echizen Kokufu ~

Murasaki Shikibu wrote poems about the scenery and people he saw through the blinds of his palanquin during his five-day journey from Kyoto to Echizen Province. In order to give you the feeling of attending a procession back then, we will be exhibiting ``Japanese paper dolls from the downward procession'' and a life-sized ``Ajirokoshi'' in a three-dimensional scene. did.

"❸ Murasaki Shikibu no Ma" Japanese paper dolls and Ajiro Koshi in a downward procession

“❷ Days in Echizen” ~ Days in Echizen that healed the soul ~

Here, we introduce the days in Echizen, where we ate the blessings of the mountains and seas, loved the beauty of Echizen lacquerware, and were soothed by the simple expression of Echizen ware. In the center is the main image "Hyakka Ryoran - Echizen Kokufu where Murasaki Shikibu was". Murasaki Shikibu herself reminisces about her exchange of love songs with Fujiwara Nobutaka, her marriage after returning to Tokyo, and other stories in a monologue. A beautiful picture story progresses on the wall image, and the image of the image on the floor is reflected on the surface of the water, flowers, snow, and the scenery of the four seasons. is the point.

"❸ Room of Murasaki Shikibu" Picture scroll style video "Hundreds of Flowers - Echizen Kokufu where Murasaki Shikibu was -"

“Part ❸ After returning to Tokyo” ~After living in Echizen for over a year~

This article introduces Nobutaka's masterpiece, The Tale of Genji, which was written after his death after he returned to Kyoto after living in Echizen for more than a year, got married, and gave birth.

"❸ Murasaki Shikibu no Ma" A book-style graphic introducing the time after returning to Tokyo

Inheriting the connection with "Murasaki Shikibu",
“The Tale of Genji Academy,” a joint project between citizens and government

At the end of the exhibition room, there is a display of citizen activities related to Murasaki Shikibu that have continued in Echizen City for over 60 years. In 1958, the “Murasaki Shikibu Honoring Society” was formed by citizen volunteers. In 1988, the 1st Genji Monogatari Academy was held, and the project of the Murasaki Shikibu Honoring Society began to be disseminated nationwide. Since then, the "Genji Monogatari Academy" has been taken over as a joint project between citizens and the government, with the cooperation of related organizations. The museum aims to create a facility that will be loved for a long time by citizens who pass on the connection with Murasaki Shikibu.

 

What did you think? [Part 1] "The unexpected relationship between Murasaki Shikibu and Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture!"
Here, I mainly talked about the "space" where you can experience the world of the Tale of Genji at "Murasaki Yukari no Yakata" and the "story of the exhibition" where you can feel Murasaki Shikibu's visit to Echizen.
In the following [Part 2], we will introduce a "tour story" where you can enjoy sightseeing from the city to the wider Tannan area with the theme of "love" as the starting point. Please continue reading.

 

profile
Shigeo Fujii
Creative Headquarters Planning Center Planning Department 4 Room 10 Planning Director

For more than 20 years at NOMURA Co., Ltd., I have built up my career in the fields of administrative cultural exhibition facilities and corporate exhibitions.
We have work experience from research work at the initial stage of business to basic concept, basic plan, basic/implementation design, and operational support. In particular, we are involved in a wide range of fields, including historical exhibition facilities that handle important cultural properties, literary exhibition facilities (Manyoshu, haiku, etc.), disaster prevention enlightenment facilities, castles, World Heritage/Japan Heritage guidance facilities, and corporate museums. Together with our customers, we will help create spaces and environments that energize the region and organization.

Exhibition video "Murasaki Shikibu eating the blessings of Echizen's mountains and seas"