Echizen Railway, Fukui Station "Jurassic Echizen"

Stained Glass

Governor of Fukui Prefecture
SUGIMOTO Tatsuji
With the cooperation of the Japan Traffic Culture Association, the stained glass "Jurassic Echizen", created and supervised by Mr. KINUTANI Koji, a Western-style painter and recipient of the Order of Culture, who mastered afresco painting, the oldest mural painting technique known to mankind, will be installed at Fukui Station on the Echizen Railway.
We would like to express our sincere appreciation to Mr. KINUTANI and all those who have contributed to the creation and installation of this work.
The work features Fukui Prefecture's representative scenery, including dinosaurs such as "Fukuititan" and "Fukuiraptor" excavated in Fukui Prefecture, popular sightseeing spots "Eiheiji" and "Tojinbo," Fukui Prefecture's mascot character "HAPPY-Ryu," and the Echizen Railway and its attendants, all depicted against a vivid blue sky in bold composition and rich colors, creating a work that will overwhelm viewers.
In preparation for the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen lines in Fukui and Tsuruga in the spring of 2024, Fukui Prefecture is preparing to welcome many visitors from all over Japan and the world by redeveloping the area around Fukui Station and improving the attractiveness of tourist attractions throughout the prefecture.
We hope that this work will become familiar as a new symbol of the Echizen Railway, which connects Fukui Station with tourist attractions throughout the prefecture, and that Fukui Station will become even more crowded and continue to attract and fascinate many people with the exciting and thrilling attractions of Fukui.

Director General of JPTCA
TAKI Hisao
The stainedglass "Jurassic Echizen" was completed at Fukui Station of the Echizen Railway under the supervision and original drawings of Mr. KINUTANI Koji, a great Western-style painter. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to Mr. KINUTANI and congratulate him on the completion of the work.
Fukui Prefecture is also known as the "Dinosaur Kingdom" because about 80% of the dinosaur fossils excavated in Japan have been found there. While there are many facilities and goods with dinosaur motifs, the newest addition is the work of Mr. KINUTNI, a recipient of the Order of Cultural Merit for his mastery of alfresco painting, the oldest mural painting technique known to mankind. We are confident that this will become a major tourist attraction for Echizen Railway, Fukui City, and the prefecture.
This is the fifth collaboration between Mr. KINUTANI and "Creare Atami-Yugawara Studio" (Atami City), but this is the first time for them to work on stained glass, having previously worked on ceramic reliefs. The staff at the studio put all their skills and know-how into selecting and painting the glass to express the colorful original drawings of the teacher in stained glass. The resulting work is more than a mere imitation or reproduction; it has been sublimated into a new form of expression, and I feel that one plus one has become three or four.
Since 1972, I have been installing public art throughout Japan with the aim of "making public spaces comfortable places," and this is 555th work. I would like to thank the Japan Lottery Foundation for their support, Echizen Railway Co.