fukui prefecture

We try a can of Space Mackerel, designed for eating on the ISS by high school students

In space, no one can hear you slurp.

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Data shows Fukui Prefecture may be the best place to live in Japan, but survey results differ

A non-profit study sought to determine the best Japanese prefecture to live in, but found interesting discrepancies.

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Japanese man uses sightseeing drones to help tourists get a bird’s-eye view of the surroundings

Tourism organizations ought to take notes from him.

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Prefectural capital building in Japan has a moat, ready for mobs of invaders or zombies

Awesomely-defensible Fukui Prefectural headquarters is built on castle grounds.

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Retired Japanese man who saved over 500 from suicide to become star of worldwide documentary

It’s no secret that Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. There are even popular “suicide spots” within Japan where many people go every year to end their lives. One such area is Tojinbo in Fukui Prefecture, where the tall seaside cliffs overlook the ocean, and as many as 100 people every year choose to fall to their deaths.

However that number has been declining in recent years, thanks to Yukio Shige, a 70-year-old retired police officer. He has made it his personal duty to patrol the area and talk to anyone who looks like they may want to jump over the cliffs, and he’s saved over 500 lives in the 11 years he’s been acting as personal seaside lifeguard.

And now he has a new role: the star of the movie that’s being made about his life.

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Creepy abandoned Japanese amusement park is open and waiting to devour your soul 【Pics】

We’ve seen pictures of creepy abandoned places in Japan before, but what about creepy abandoned places that are still open for business?

Wonderland is an amusement park in Fukui Prefecture that by all accounts should not exist. There’re no cars in the overgrown parking lot, locks on all the condemned buildings, and all the signs are rusted and discolored. And yet, they’re still open, pretending as if nothing is wrong.

Oh and did we mention they’re hiring?

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Buddhist monks cultivate cat haven at Fukui Prefecture’s “Kitty Temple”

Here’s a familiar saying: “In Ancient Egypt, cats were worshipped as gods; they have never forgotten this.” Certainly in Japan, cats are still given a huge amount of respect, with entire islands of moggies being given free roam to peacefully exist in their own little kitty ecosystem. Of course, things aren’t perfect, and stray and abandoned cats are a sad reality in Japan as much as they are in many other countries. But today we’re here to appreciate the happy cats of Gotanjo temple in Fukui Prefecture, who are lovingly tended to by Buddhist monks and fawned over by the adoring tourists who come to visit. You can even get a special kitty cat fortune and see what’s in store for the coming year!

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