Ancient Burial Mounds with a View

The standout surprise for first-time visitors is the Kofun Plaza, home to two restored keyhole-shaped burial mounds known as Manjuuyama No. 1 and No. 2. Excavations here yielded stone coffin fragments; after archaeological work, the mounds were re-embanked and landscaped into a grassy overlook. Climb to the top and the city of Fukui and the sports-park side of the greenway spread out below you—a vantage point few visitors expect to find in a neighborhood park.↗

Garden and Fitness Zones

Past the kofun, the Waterfront Square area is paved with blue-tinged Shokudani stone, a local quarried material prized for its color and smooth texture. (The feature's water channels have been inactive in recent years, so enjoy the stonework itself and mind the note about slippery surfaces.) The Flower Garden brings seasonal color through brick-bordered beds, while the Athletic Square is studded with roughly ten outdoor exercise stations—pull-up bars, sit-up benches, and balance equipment—that invite a quick bodyweight workout mid-walk.↗

Winter Illumination

From late autumn through December 25, the Culture Square on the sports-park end hosts the Seibu Green Road Illumination. Hearts, rainbows, and Christmas-tree shapes glow among the sculptural monument and fountain area, creating a small-scale, intimate light display that has become a beloved local tradition. The event runs from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and is free to attend, with parking available nearby.↗↗

The illumination's origin story adds to its warmth: in 2009, first-year students at Yashiro Middle School researched their neighborhood as part of a community-studies curriculum and proposed revitalizing the underused greenway. Their ideas caught on with the Yashiro-Kitamachi town-making committee, and the annual light event is their living legacy.↗↗

Getting There and Visiting Tips

The greenway sits at the edge of the Wakasugi neighborhood in Fukui City. There are two small parking lots on the Mount Ashizu side, and the large Fukui Youth Sports Park lot serves the Culture Square end. Because the park is open 24 hours with no gates, you can walk the path at any time; the illumination simply adds a reason to visit after dark in December.↗↗

Pair your visit with a hike up Mount Ashizu—its temple, trails, and spring cherry blossoms make a fuller half-day outing—or continue to the sports park's facilities. On summer mornings or cool winter evenings you'll share the path with joggers and dog-walkers; at the illumination in late December, expect small family crowds rather than major queues.↗↗