At this present time, Echizen is one of the biggest Washi district in Japan. According to the myth legend in the times of the Emperor Keitai (継体天皇: early 6th century), a beautiful woman appeared from the upstream of Okamoto River, then she taught how to make papers to the villagers. The village located in the mountain, therefore the place was not good for rice farming. Washi making became effective income for the poor villagers. Villagers worshipped her and call her “Kawakami Gozen (川上御前)”, enshrined her in “Okamoto-Jinja (岡太神社)”. The main building of Okamoto-Jinja (1843) is the listed “National Important Cultural Property”, it is wooden complicated work, always well maintained by villager's appreciation to her.
As the indubitable record, Echizen was recorded of five paper making country on the Shosoin document in AD737. The first nationwide banknote was made by them in 1875. Through history, Echizen has influenced the other washi district, and it is still going on.