Minamiechizen, Fukui

Minamiechizen (南越前町) is a town located in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 10,745 in 3,470 households and a population density of 31 persons per km². The total area of the town was 343.69 sqkm.

Geography
Minamiechizen is located in central Fukui Prefecture, bordered by Gifu Prefecture to the west, Shiga Prefecture to the south and the Sea of Japan to the west. Parts of the coastal area of the town are within the borders of the Echizen-Kaga Kaigan Quasi-National Park.

Neighbouring municipalities

 * Fukui Prefecture
 * Tsuruga
 * Echizen
 * Ikeda
 * Echizen (town)
 * Shiga Prefecture
 * Nagahama
 * Gifu Prefecture
 * Ibigawa

Climate
Minamiechizen has a Humid climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm, wet summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Minamiechizen is 13.1 C. The average annual rainfall is 2608.2 mm with December as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.4 C, and lowest in January, at around 1.7 C. Parts of the town are located within the extremely heavy snowfall area of Japan.

Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Minamiechizen has declined over the past 50 years.

History
Minamiechizen is part of ancient Echizen Province. During the Edo period, the area was mostly part of the holdings of Fukui Domain and Nishio Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate. Following the Meiji restoration, and the establishment of the modern municipalities it was organised into part of Nanjō District in Fukui Prefecture. Minamiechizen was formed on 1 January 2005, by the merger of the two former towns of Imajō and Nanjō, and the former village of Kōno (all from Nanjō District).

Economy
The economy of Minamiechizen is mixed, with agriculture and commercial fishing prominent.

Education
Minamiechizen has four public elementary schools and there middle schools operated by the city government. The town does not have public high school.

Railway
JR West surrendered ownership of the Hokuriku Main Line in Minamiechizen to third-sector company Hapi-line Fukui on 16 March 2024. Hapi-line Fukui
 * Minami-Imajō, Imajō, Yunoo, Nanjō

Local attractions

 * Echizen-Kaga Kaigan Quasi-National Park
 * Somayama Castle, National Historic Site