Obama sits on Wakasa Bay due north of Kyoto, served as capital of Wakasa Province through the Nara and Heian periods, and bills itself "Nara by the sea" — a fishing port that fed the imperial court for over a thousand years. Salted Wakasa mackerel travelled the Saba Kaido (Mackerel Road) network of mountain routes south to Kyoto, seasoning in its briny containers along the way. Myōtsū-ji, founded by tradition in 806, holds two National Treasures: the Hondō (1258–1265) and the 22-meter three-story pagoda (1270). Wakasahiko Shrine is the ichinomiya — highest-ranking shrine — of old Wakasa Province. The old town's preservation district keeps a quiet streetscape of latticed merchant houses, and Obama's small museums interpret the trade-route history that runs through every block.
What Obama is known for
Top-rated in Obama
Wada Beach
4.4beach
Fukui Prefecture is home to amazing beaches, but none compare to Wakasa Wada's pellucid waters and clean white sands.
Myotsuji
4.4temple
Temple tucked in Obama hills since 802, requested by Emperor Kanmu, housing multiple national treasures.
Obama Traditional Townscape Preservation Center
4.2museum
The distinctive townscape of the Nishigumi district reflects Obama’s long history as a thriving port town that connected Kyoto to the sea.
Obama's Ocean & Fish
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The waters along the winding ria coast of Obama are bountiful.
Wakasa Bay Historic District
4.1landmark
Between the twelfth and the sixteenth centuries, Wakasa Bay was an important gateway on the coast of the Sea of Japan that served as a relay point between the capital and destinations both in.
Saba Kaido
4.0landmark
The ancient capital of Kyoto was connected to Wakasa Province via a series of routes known as the Saba Kaido (“Mackerel Road” or “Mackerel Highway”).
Miketsukuni Wakasa Obama Food Museum
3.9museum
The Wakasa Obama Food Culture Museum opened in September 2003 to advance the city’s food-related community-development goals.