Echizen (越前町, Echizen-chō) is a town located in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 April 2018, the town had an estimated population of 20,709 and the population density of 140 persons per km. The total area of the town was 153.15 square kilometres (59.13 sq mi).

Echizen town is located in the Nyū District of central Fukui Prefecture, bordered by 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.

• Fukui Prefecture
  • Echizen
  • Fukui
  • Minamiechizen
  • Sabae

Echizen has a humid climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm, wet summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Echizen is 14.3 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2398 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.9 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.7 °C. Parts of the town are located within the extremely heavy snowfall area of Japan.

Per Japanese census data, the population of Echizen was relatively stable throughout the late 20th century but has declined in the 21st.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1970	25,641	—
1980	25,992	+1.4%
1990	25,448	−2.1%
2000	25,017	−1.7%
2010	23,160	−7.4%
2020	20,118	−13.1%

Echizen is part of ancient Echizen Province. During the Edo period, the area was mostly part of the holdings of Fukui Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate. Following the Meiji Restoration, and the establishment of the modern municipalities it was organised into part of Nyū District in Fukui Prefecture. The villages of Shirosaki and Shikaura were founded on April 1, 1889. Shikaura was raised to town status on August 1, 1946. The town of Echizen was formed on March 1, 1955 by the merger of Shikaura and Shirosaki. On February 1, 2005 the towns of Asahi and Ota, and the village of Miyazaki, all from Nyū District, were merged into Echizen.

The economy of Echizen town is mixed, with commercial fishing and agriculture prominent. Echizen is known for its production of high quality crab, rice, pottery, and daffodils.

Echizen town has eight public elementary schools and four middle schools operated by the city government. The town has one public high school operated by the Fukui Prefectural Board of Education.

• Asahi Junior High School
• Echizen Junior High School
• Miyazaki Junior High School
• Nyu High School
• Ota Junior High School

Echizen town has no public passenger railway service.

• National Route 305
• National Route 365
• National Route 417

• Miyama, Fukuoka, Japan
• Montevallo, Alabama, United States, since 2008

• Nishio, Aisho, Japan
• Yeongdeok County, South Korea

• Echizen-Kaga Kaigan Quasi-National Park
• Echizen ware ceramics

• Media related to Echizen, Fukui (town) at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website (in Japanese)
• Echizen Town tourism website (in English)