We will be taking a walk around the city using public transport. We will be taking you on a journey to enjoy the city while experiencing its history and culture. This time, we will start from Komatsu City and Kaga City, which are known as Minami Kaga in Ishikawa Prefecture, and then proceed to Fukui Prefecture, heading south to Fukui City, Sabae City, and Echizen City!
Ai Nishimura
Administrator of the blog "My Diary," which began in 2004. A writer who has traveled to all 47 prefectures and loves local culture and history.
Author of Shimane's "Geography, Place Names, and Maps" Mysteries (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha), My Town is the "Number One in Japan" Dictionary (PHP Institute), and Prefectures Explained in Neko Neko Japanese History (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha). Official blogger for Suntory Gourmet Guide, official top user for Retty, and official platinum blogger for Excite.
Day 2 starts in Fukui City!
In the morning, we went to Eiheiji Temple. We visited the temple grounds, where temple buildings are lined up in rows along the mountainside amidst the beautiful greenery of the mountains. We detoxified our minds at Eiheiji Temple, the head temple of the Soto sect of Buddhism. It was a worthwhile visit.
From Fukui Station, take the bus straight to Eiheiji Temple
In the morning, we set off for Eiheiji Temple from Fukui Station! If you go by train, you can take the Echizen Railway, which is full of local atmosphere, but since the distance from the station to the temple is quite long, we chose to take a bus that goes to the temple town. We arrived at Eiheiji Temple almost non-stop on the way.
The night before, I gathered information at a bar in Fukui City by myself (lol), and heard that the apple pie at the Western-style pastry shop "Atelier Kashu" near the Eiheiji bus stop was delicious. I got off the bus and headed straight to the shop. My mouth was already filled with apple pie. Unfortunately, the apple pie that had been prepared since last year was already sold out by this time of year. Instead, I bought some homemade ice cream and walked around the temple town, munching on it.
As you walk through the temple town, you will come across clear, abundant spring water on the side of the road. There are many souvenir shops and shops selling the local specialty soba noodles and sesame tofu.
There is only one road, so it is not difficult. After walking for about 5 minutes, the gate came into view. The greenery is dazzlingly beautiful.
The day starts from Fukui Station, where dinosaur sculptures welcome you.
Echizen Railway. Full of local line aura.
The Echizen Railway is convenient for going to the Katsuyama Dinosaur Museum and Tojinbo. To get to Eiheiji, it is a 7.5 km walk from the Eiheijiguchi station.
To get to Eiheiji, take the bus bound for Eiheiji from the east exit of Fukui Station. It takes about 30 minutes to get there.
We stopped by the Western-style pastry shop "Atelier Kashu" right after we got off the bus! It's a popular sweets shop in the temple town. Their signature product, apple pie, was out for the season. The next sale will be in September!
The homemade gelato is made with Jersey milk. It is a refreshing milk-flavored ice cream made with Jersey milk from the Rokuroshi Plateau in the prefecture. A cone costs 250 yen.
The temple town is a slight uphill stretch lined with souvenir shops and restaurants.
The specialty of the temple town is sesame tofu served with sweet miso, which can be found at many restaurants.
We arrived at Eiheiji Temple. It was about a 5-6 minute walk from the bus stop to here.
Visit Eiheiji Temple, the source of faith for the Soto sect
Eiheiji is a temple founded by Zen Master Dogen. As the founder of the Soto sect, he preached many teachings. One of these teachings is written on the gate, where you can finally enter the temple: "A single drop of water in a spoonful, a thousand billion people drawing water."
At Eiheiji, you are only allowed to take off your shoes at the reception desk and view key points from the stairs and corridors of the temple; you cannot freely wander around the temple grounds.
At Eiheiji, monks from all over the country come to the temple to train and perform their services every day. I am often taken aback by the politeness and gentle demeanor of the monks I pass by. I would never tell anyone that I came to the temple while eating ice cream. This is the place where the monks live, so we pay our respects quietly, feeling like we are just visiting them. Even just hearing about some of the training makes me wonder if such a harsh world still exists in this day and age.
Training begins and ends at the Sanmon gate. Before starting their training, the monks are asked if they are ready for it, and their patience is tested by standing for hours in front of the snow-covered gate. Many monks leave at this point, and only those who can endure until they are finally allowed inside pass through the Sanmon gate. After several years of training, they pass through the Sanmon gate and return to their respective temples. If you have the time, they also offer a "Zen experience," which is sure to be an opportunity to get to know Eiheiji on a deeper level.
Even just praying, the breeze blowing through the quiet grounds and the vibrant greenery are pleasant, and the air feels like it purifies the body, making one feel refreshed. You can learn and feel Eiheiji as a Buddhist temple that continues to pray for world peace, a place where you can immerse yourself in its sanctity, and a part of Japanese culture. It's a place that everyone should visit at least once in their life, not just as a tourist attraction, but as a place that will give you peace of mind and allow you to loosen your emotional strings.
It looks like it will be beautiful in every season, a place where nature and architecture blend together.
A statue of Kannon Bodhisattva with a gentle expression stands next to the large cedar tree.
After checking in, we headed inside. We took off our shoes and walked through the building to pay our respects. We immediately entered the gorgeous coffered ceiling room, "Kasshōkaku." This room houses 230 paintings of flowers, birds, the moon and the wind. There are only five paintings of animals, so it's fun to look for them♪ This room was apparently used as a waiting room for customers.
The "Chujakumon Gate" seen from the "Sanmon Gate". The Sanmon Gate was rebuilt in 1749 and is the oldest in Eiheiji. Both the Sanmon Gate and the Chujakumon Gate are designated tangible cultural properties by Fukui Prefecture. Eiheiji has been rebuilt due to repeated fires and other incidents. Photography of training monks is prohibited, but photography is permitted in areas within the temple grounds where you can walk.
The stairs built along the mountainside are polished to a high shine. The stairs are long, but the steps are relatively low. The monks clean them every morning during their cleaning time.
The Buddha Hall as seen from Daikuin. Made entirely of cypress, it was rebuilt in 1902. On the day I visited, a Buddhist ceremony was being held.
Looking towards the Sanmon Gate from the Butsuden. It faces the Sanmon Gate, with the Chujakumon Gate located between them.
Daikuin Temple seen from the Buddha Hall. It has a large roof and a sense of dignity. It is a wooden building with one basement floor and four floors above ground.
After climbing a long staircase, we arrived at the Hatto, a 420 tatami-mat hall where various memorial services are held, decorated with a gorgeous golden canopy.
The hall is large, with a width spanning several rooms. When you reach the hall, you can also view the roofs of the buildings you have passed by.
An incense burner placed in front of Shoyoden Hall.
The Shoyoden Hall is decorated with graceful dragon carvings.
We can see the "Shoyomon Gate" which we cannot pass through from Shoyoden. Looking further back, we can look down at the buildings stacked on top of each other and see that Shoyoden is located at a high place.
The building seen from above also looks majestic and imposing.
The "Nokyoto" (stupa) where copied sutras are stored stands quietly surrounded by greenery.
There were many sights that soothed the hearts of those who saw them.
Read the second part here
The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.
