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Province · Chubu
The Zen monastery Eihei-ji, the dinosaur museum, the Tojinbo cliffs, Maruoka Castle and Echizen crab.
In the photo: Eihei-ji Temple, in Fukui.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
The province
Fukui sits on the Sea of Japan, between Ishikawa and Kyoto. The north, Reihoku, has plains and the Echizen coast; the south, Reinan, includes the indented Wakasa Bay. Sabae, in the center, makes most of Japan’s eyeglass frames, and Echizen is known for washi paper and knives.
Eihei-ji, founded by the master Dogen in the 13th century, is one of the two main monasteries of the Soto Zen school. Wooden halls, connected by covered corridors, climb a hillside among cedars, and trainee monks live there. Visitors can walk through part of the monastery and, with a reservation, take part in meditation or stay overnight.
In Katsuyama, the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum displays skeletons and fossils, many found in the region. Ichijodani preserves the ruins of the Asakura clan town, destroyed in the 16th century, with one reconstructed street. Maruoka Castle retains its original keep, one of the oldest in the country.
On the coast, the Tojinbo cliffs have basalt columns that plunge into the sea, seen from above or by boat. Echizen crab, caught in winter, is the prefecture’s specialty. In the south, the five Mikata Lakes are visible from a scenic road, and the village of Kumagawa-juku preserves houses from the old route that carried salted fish to Kyoto.
Flavors of Japan
Destinations
Cities
Capital of Fukui Prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast, the city has a Hokuriku shinkansen station, castle ruins, the Yokokan garden and the cherry trees along the Asuwa River. It is the base for the ruins of Ichijodani, the Dinosaur Museum in Katsuyama, Maruoka Castle and the Tojinbo cliffs.
Small town east of Fukui named after the Eihei-ji monastery, one of the two main temples of Sōtō Zen, founded in 1244, with halls connected by corridors among centennial cedars. On the approach street to the temple there are soba and sesame-tofu restaurants.
Eihei-ji and Ichijodani are beautiful with spring’s fresh leaves and with the red maples of November. Summers are hot, and the beaches of Wakasa Bay attract swimmers. Echizen crab is fished from November to March. Winters bring snow, especially inland, and the monastery can be covered in white.
The Hokuriku Shinkansen connects Tokyo to Fukui in about 3 hours. From Osaka and Kyoto, the Thunderbird limited express runs to Tsuruga, where you change for the shinkansen to Fukui, a total journey of about 1 hour 40 minutes. Buses link Fukui Station to Eihei-ji in about 30 minutes and to Tojinbo in about 1 hour. The Echizen Railway goes to Katsuyama. The nearest airport is Komatsu in Ishikawa.
Your questions
Yes, with a reservation. The monastery offers short meditation sessions and one-night stays, including a vegetarian meal and participation in the morning prayers. Timings follow the monks’ routine.
By Echizen Railway, from Fukui to Katsuyama in about 1 hour, then by bus to the museum. On weekends there are direct buses from Fukui Station.
From November to March. Male crabs carry a yellow tag that identifies their origin, and the crab is served boiled, grilled or in a stew.
It’s a stretch of basalt-column cliffs, about 1 km long, on the Sakai coast. A trail runs over the rocks, and boats offer a short cruise at their base when sea conditions allow.
Beyond the guide
