DISCOVER FUKUI

Mantokuji Temple is a Shingon Buddhist temple best known for its hillside landscape garden and carefully raked rock garden. These gardens are particularly popular destinations when the azaleas bloom in May and June. The temple is also home to a giant maple tree some 500 years old, which turns red from late October to mid-November.

The temple has several historic works of Buddhist art. These include a wooden statue of the Amida Buddha that dates back to the twelfth century, and scrolls from the Kamakura period (1185–1333) depicting Fudo Myo-o (the Immovable Wisdom King) and the Buddha of the Future. 

The vermilion of the mountain maples in the fall is beautifully reflected in the karesansui (dry landscape garden), and is a treat to the eyes of visitors. In the spring, azaleas are a sight to behold, and nature abounds in the temple throughout the four seasons. The main statue, a seated wooden Amitabha Nyorai (Important Cultural Property), and the colorful Maitreya Bosatsu (Maitreya Bodhisattva) on silk are well worth seeing.